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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. current — electric
  3. game — wild animals
  4. board — a committee
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. fall — to drop
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. game — a match
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. spring — of water
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fall — the season
  18. bear — the animal
  19. spring — the season
  20. current — happening now
  21. spring — a coil
  22. current — of water
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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