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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 124 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. hand — in cards
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. track — a song
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. spring — of water
  12. track — to keep track
  13. board — a committee
  14. pass — a permit
  15. board — to get on
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. hand — help
  19. spring — a coil
  20. kid — child
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. spring — the season
  24. coach — a trainer

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