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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. game — wild animals
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. ground — a position
  8. bear — the animal
  9. board — to get on
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. tear — from crying
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ground — the earth
  18. face — to confront
  19. tear — to rip
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. board — a committee
  23. ground — crushed
  24. game — a match

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