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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 120 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. ground — crushed
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. land — to come down
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. game — wild animals
  12. land — a country
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rock — music
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. land — ground
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. game — a match
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. arm — part of the body

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