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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 120 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. content — the amount
  3. board — to get on
  4. game — wild animals
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. board — a committee
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. rule — a law
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. content — happy
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rule — government
  24. game — a match

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