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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 124 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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. board — a committee
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. wound — an injury
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. clip — to cut
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. clip — a video
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. clip — for paper
  22. board — to get on
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mark — a trace

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