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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. charge — a price
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. charge — in control
  8. game — wild animals
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. charge — electricity
  11. roll — a cake
  12. chair — a leader
  13. board — to get on
  14. game — a match
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. board — a committee
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. shower — to wash
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. shower — rain
  24. roll — a list

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