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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bore — to tire
  4. land — a country
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. land — ground
  11. fine — high quality
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. spell — letters
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. fine — all right
  16. board — to get on
  17. snap — to click
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. spell — magic
  20. land — to come down
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ground — a position
  24. board — a committee

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