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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. staff — a stick
  4. rule — government
  5. face — to confront
  6. pitch — completely
  7. face — to point toward
  8. rule — a law
  9. craft — a skill
  10. staff — employees
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. game — a match
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. face — part of the head
  20. stand — to bear
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. game — wild animals

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