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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. land — to come down
  3. kid — child
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. board — to get on
  7. land — ground
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. kid — to tease
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. present — there
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mark — a grade
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. present — a gift
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mark — a trace
  23. present — the time now
  24. land — a country

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