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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. game — wild animals
  4. board — to get on
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. scale — in music
  7. drill — army training
  8. board — a committee
  9. wake — a trail
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. drill — a practice
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. drill — the tool
  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