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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. game — wild animals
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. current — happening now
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. current — electric
  8. bound — certain
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. current — of water
  12. game — a match
  13. perch — the fish
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — child
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bound — obliged
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stand — to bear
  24. leaves — lets stay

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