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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 · pound · object · board · kid · suit · bat · dip

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. suit — to fit
  3. board — to get on
  4. kid — child
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pound — a weight
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. kid — to tease
  9. board — a committee
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. bat — the animal
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. object — to protest
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bat — for baseball

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