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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · wake · row · track · lash · pitch · board · net

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — completely
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. track — to keep track
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. net — for catching
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. row — a line
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. net — in sport
  16. track — a song
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. wake — a trail
  20. net — after costs
  21. track — a path
  22. board — to get on
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mouse — the animal

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