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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. land — to come down
  3. object — an aim
  4. game — wild animals
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. key — the most important part
  8. present — a gift
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rush — hurry
  11. object — a thing
  12. staff — employees
  13. present — there
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. key — for a lock
  17. land — ground
  18. key — in music
  19. land — a country
  20. present — the time now
  21. game — a match
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. object — to protest

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