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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rash — hasty
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. root — the cause
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. fall — the season
  18. rash — a series
  19. game — a match
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. board — to get on
  24. game — a kind of play

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