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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. board — a committee
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. game — a match
  5. stand — to bear
  6. game — wild animals
  7. last — final
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. board — to get on
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. last — finally
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. kid — child
  15. last — to go on
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fork — in a road
  18. kid — to tease

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