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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. foot — a measure
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. board — a committee
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. row — a line
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. row — to paddle
  13. game — a match
  14. bat — the animal
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. game — wild animals
  24. row — a quarrel

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