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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. key — in music
  3. present — a gift
  4. rule — government
  5. ground — crushed
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. present — the time now
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. key — the most important part
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. rule — a law
  16. present — there
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. game — wild animals
  19. key — for a lock
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. game — a match

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