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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. game — a match
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. shower — to wash
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. game — wild animals
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. shower — rain
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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