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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. game — wild animals
  4. board — a committee
  5. cap — a lid
  6. bear — the animal
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cap — of ice
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — completely
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. board — to get on
  22. fork — in a road
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cap — a hat

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