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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — a committee
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. ground — a position
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. pit — in a race
  9. face — to confront
  10. ground — crushed
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. face — part of the head
  14. band — a ring
  15. ground — the earth
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. board — to get on
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pit — a hole

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