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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. land — ground
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. land — to come down
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. cue — for pool
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. kick — in football
  11. land — a country
  12. bass — the fish
  13. cue — a hint
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cap — a lid
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cap — a hat

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