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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. board — to get on
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bank — for money
  7. rule — a law
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. board — a committee
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. content — happy
  14. rule — government
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — goods
  18. content — the amount
  19. stock — shares
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bank — for money

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