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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. board — to get on
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. pop — to visit
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. capital — money
  11. bass — low music
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mark — a trace
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pop — music
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pop — soda
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bass — the fish
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mark — a grade
  23. board — a committee
  24. capital — a city

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