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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. board — a committee
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. game — a match
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. board — to get on
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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