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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. saw — the tool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. branch — a division
  7. cue — for pool
  8. game — a match
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. board — to get on
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. cue — a signal
  14. game — wild animals
  15. stand — to bear
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. board — a committee
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. current — electric
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. saw — the tool

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