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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. suit — to fit
  3. game — a match
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mate — to breed
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — a committee
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. shower — rain
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — hasty
  15. board — to get on
  16. suit — in cards
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. fine — all right
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. game — wild animals
  23. mate — a partner
  24. rush — hurry

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