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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bass — low music
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. board — a committee
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. pitch — completely
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. bass — the fish
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. game — a match
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. vault — a safe
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. shower — rain
  24. pitch — a sports field

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