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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: board · bark · lash · fan · mouse · field · bass · mug

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mug — a cup
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. field — for sport
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bass — the fish
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bark — to shout
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. field — a subject
  19. mug — a face
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bass — low music
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. field — farmland
  24. mouse — for a computer

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