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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

Word bank: present · board · cell · mouse · tear · game

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. game — a match
  3. present — there
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. board — to get on
  6. cell — a phone
  7. present — the time now
  8. cell — in biology
  9. board — a committee
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. tear — from crying
  13. present — a gift
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — wild animals
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tear — from crying

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