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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 116 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. kick — in football
  3. fall — to drop
  4. game — a match
  5. land — ground
  6. land — to come down
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. charge — electricity
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — a price
  12. fall — the season
  13. land — a country
  14. game — wild animals
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a committee
  17. pit — in a race
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wax — to grow
  24. game — a kind of play

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