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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 120 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 the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. board — to get on
  4. bass — the fish
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. land — a country
  10. fine — high quality
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pit — in a race
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pit — a hole
  15. game — a match
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. board — a committee
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. game — wild animals
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. land — to come down
  23. fine — all right
  24. bass — low music

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