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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. board — a committee
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bat — the animal
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rash — a series
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rash — hasty
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mark — a trace
  24. board — to get on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com