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

Word bank: mouse · foot · row · band · race · board · pound · pitcher

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. foot — a measure
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. board — to get on
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. race — a contest
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pound — a weight
  11. row — a line
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. race — humankind
  16. board — a committee
  17. band — a music group
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. band — a ring
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. foot — part of the body

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