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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rock — music
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. board — a committee
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. firm — steady
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. board — to get on
  10. rock — a stone
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. firm — a company
  16. game — a match
  17. mine — for digging
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rule — government
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rule — a law
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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