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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. game — wild animals
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. board — to get on
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pass — a permit
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. track — to keep track
  18. track — a song
  19. kid — child
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. game — a match
  22. chair — a leader
  23. track — a path
  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