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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. game — wild animals
  3. cap — a lid
  4. stem — to come from
  5. tube — a container
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. charge — in control
  10. cap — a hat
  11. charge — electricity
  12. cap — of ice
  13. board — to get on
  14. game — a match
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. drill — a practice
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. ball — a great time
  19. charge — a price
  20. board — a committee
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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