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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. mug — to rob
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mug — a face
  5. board — to get on
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. ground — a position
  8. game — a match
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ground — crushed
  11. charge — a price
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mug — a cup
  14. charge — electricity
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rash — a series
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wake — a trail
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rash — hasty
  22. charge — in control
  23. board — a committee
  24. bulb — for light

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