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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. face — part of the head
  3. scale — size or range
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. land — ground
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. land — a country
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stand — to bear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. face — to confront
  14. net — in sport
  15. land — to come down
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. board — to get on
  18. scale — in music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. wax — to grow
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. board — a committee

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