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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. board — to get on
  3. bark — to shout
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pop — music
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. pop — to visit
  11. snap — to click
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. stand — to bear
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pop — soda
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mark — a trace
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. game — a match
  24. rush — hurry

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