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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 120 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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fork — in a road
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. board — a committee
  7. dip — to sink
  8. game — a match
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. game — wild animals
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. board — to get on
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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