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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. board — a committee
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. land — to come down
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. ball — a great time
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. land — ground
  12. cold — an illness
  13. board — to get on
  14. bass — the fish
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. vault — a safe
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bass — low music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cold — not warm
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. kick — in football
  24. ball — a dance

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