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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cap — a lid
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. key — in music
  11. cap — a hat
  12. last — finally
  13. game — wild animals
  14. last — final
  15. board — a committee
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. cap — of ice
  19. key — for a lock
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. last — to go on
  23. key — the most important part
  24. season — to add flavour

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