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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: mouse · trunk · bat · dip · board · bass · rash · mug

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mug — a face
  4. rash — a series
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bass — the fish
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. board — a committee
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bass — low music
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rash — hasty
  18. board — to get on
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bat — the animal
  24. rash — on the skin

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