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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. game — a match
  3. board — to get on
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pass — a permit
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wound — an injury
  10. board — a committee
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. field — a subject
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. game — wild animals
  24. racket — a loud noise

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