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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. board — a committee
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. game — a match
  10. root — of a word
  11. spell — a short time
  12. board — to get on
  13. stock — goods
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. spell — magic
  16. game — wild animals
  17. root — the cause
  18. kid — child
  19. stock — shares
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. kid — to tease
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. fan — a supporter

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