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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. track — to keep track
  3. game — a match
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pop — soda
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. bear — the animal
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pit — a hole
  14. track — a song
  15. band — a music group
  16. pop — music
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. band — a ring
  21. pop — to visit
  22. track — a path
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. game — wild animals

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