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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. cap — a lid
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. kick — in football
  4. file — a line of people
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. game — a match
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a skill
  9. game — wild animals
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. cap — a hat
  12. file — a tool
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. cap — of ice
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. file — a document
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. pit — a hole
  20. board — to get on
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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