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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
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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 · pit · rock · mouse · perch · mine · band · wake

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. board — to get on
  4. band — a ring
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pit — in a race
  12. band — a music group
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pit — a hole
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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