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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. file — a line of people
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bass — the fish
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. board — to get on
  8. game — wild animals
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. key — the most important part
  11. file — a tool
  12. band — a ring
  13. key — for a lock
  14. game — a match
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. key — in music
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. board — a committee
  20. chair — a leader
  21. file — a document
  22. band — a music group
  23. bass — low music
  24. chair — a professorship

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