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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 124 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. wind — moving air
  3. game — wild animals
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. game — a match
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wind — moving air
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. rock — music
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  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