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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bound — tied together
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. content — happy
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bound — certain
  12. rash — a series
  13. game — a match
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bound — obliged
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. game — wild animals
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rock — a stone
  22. board — to get on
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — the amount

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