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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 124 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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. game — wild animals
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. object — to protest
  5. snap — to click
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. board — to get on
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — high quality
  10. board — a committee
  11. object — a thing
  12. rule — government
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. net — after costs
  15. game — a match
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. object — an aim
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. rule — a law

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