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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. game — a match
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. sharp — clever
  7. ground — a position
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. board — a committee
  13. fall — to drop
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. fall — to drop
  16. ground — crushed
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. fall — the season
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. board — to get on
  24. mouse — the animal

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