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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spring — of water
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. spring — the season
  9. board — a committee
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. content — happy
  13. spring — a coil
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. firm — steady
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — the amount
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hand — in cards
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. board — to get on
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. hand — help

Multiple-meaning words list

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

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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