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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 116 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  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. board — a committee
  2. stock — goods
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — government
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. board — to get on
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. lie — to recline
  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