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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cap — a lid
  3. object — a thing
  4. board — a committee
  5. cap — of ice
  6. fine — all right
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. kid — to tease
  9. game — wild animals
  10. track — a song
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. kid — child
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. game — a match
  18. tube — a container
  19. object — to protest
  20. cap — a hat
  21. object — an aim
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. fine — high quality
  24. board — to get on

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