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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. court — for sport
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rule — a law
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. court — of a king
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. board — a committee
  20. rule — government
  21. court — of law
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. mine — for digging

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