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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. season — in sport
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mine — for digging
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. game — wild animals
  9. march — the month
  10. game — a match
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. march — music
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. board — to get on
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. season — of the year
  21. march — the month
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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