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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 124 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. board — a committee
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. game — a match
  9. board — to get on
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. cap — a lid
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cap — a hat
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet

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