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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. board — a committee
  7. game — a match
  8. fine — all right
  9. rash — a series
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rash — hasty
  14. suit — clothes
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. suit — in cards
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. suit — to fit
  24. season — in sport

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