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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. root — the cause
  3. board — a committee
  4. game — a match
  5. stock — goods
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cold — not warm
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. root — of a plant
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stock — shares
  18. root — of a word

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