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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pound — a weight
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. file — a line of people
  10. board — to get on
  11. game — wild animals
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. spell — magic
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. file — a document
  17. game — a match
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. file — a tool
  20. board — a committee
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. spell — letters

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