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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 · board · bank · toast · racket · pound · game · clip

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bank — for money
  8. game — a match
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bank — of a river
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pound — a weight
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. clip — a video
  18. toast — bread
  19. bank — for money
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. clip — for paper

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