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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. 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. rule — a law
  2. game — a match
  3. rule — government
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. kick — in football
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bound — certain
  16. game — wild animals
  17. board — a committee
  18. 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