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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. board — to get on
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. board — a committee
  5. lean — to bend
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. ground — a position
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. last — final
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bass — low music
  14. lean — thin
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. last — finally
  17. track — a song
  18. ground — the earth
  19. track — a path
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. last — to go on
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. track — to keep track

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