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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 116 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pit — in a race
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bear — the animal
  17. board — a committee
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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