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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rule — government
  3. bass — low music
  4. content — the amount
  5. rule — a law
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. game — a match
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bore — to tire
  10. content — happy
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. game — wild animals
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bass — the instrument

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