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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. board — to get on
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cap — a hat
  8. track — a song
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. chip — to eat
  11. board — a committee
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. rush — hurry
  17. game — wild animals
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. track — a path
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. chip — for betting
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rush — to hurry

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