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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. board — a committee
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. hand — help
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. game — a match
  11. wound — an injury
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. game — wild animals
  16. dip — to sink
  17. board — to get on
  18. pitch — completely
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. hand — in cards

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