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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. tube — a container
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — the earth
  9. fine — all right
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. ground — a position
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. lie — to recline
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. fine — high quality
  17. board — a committee
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. tube — the underground
  24. lie — an untruth

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