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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. board — to get on
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rule — government
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. key — in music
  8. cap — a lid
  9. key — the most important part
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cap — of ice
  14. game — a match
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cap — a hat
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — in sport
  19. board — a committee
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rule — a law
  23. key — for a lock
  24. shower — to wash

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