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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. game — a match
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. object — an aim
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. object — to protest
  8. ground — the earth
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. rock — music
  11. ground — a position
  12. hand — help
  13. game — wild animals
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. object — a thing
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rock — a stone
  20. ground — crushed
  21. board — a committee
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. board — to get on

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