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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wound — an injury
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rock — music
  12. game — a match
  13. fine — all right
  14. board — to get on
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. rush — hurry

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