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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. game — wild animals
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. chip — to eat
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. board — a committee
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. vault — a safe
  21. wake — a trail
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. racket — for tennis
  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