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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. face — to confront
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. game — a match
  6. face — to point toward
  7. march — the month
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bear — the animal
  10. board — a committee
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. game — wild animals
  14. face — part of the head
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. march — music
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. board — to get on
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a great time
  24. march — the month

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