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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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 committee
  3. club — for golf
  4. last — to go on
  5. pit — a hole
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. club — for dancing
  8. rash — a series
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bank — for money
  11. club — a group
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bank — of a river
  15. game — a match
  16. lie — to recline
  17. last — final
  18. last — finally
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. board — to get on
  21. bank — for money
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. board — a flat piece

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