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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. firm — decided
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. game — wild animals
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. deal — to handle
  9. stand — to bear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. game — a match
  13. firm — a company
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — to get on
  18. squash — the sport
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. squash — to crush
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. mine — for digging
  24. firm — steady

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