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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bass — low music
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. board — to get on
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. bass — the fish
  9. land — ground
  10. game — a match
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stand — to bear
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. land — to come down
  17. board — a committee
  18. land — a country

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