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

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. game — a match
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. board — a committee
  6. charge — a price
  7. foot — a measure
  8. charge — electricity
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. ball — a dance
  16. board — to get on
  17. charge — in control
  18. game — wild animals

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