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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. rash — a series
  3. cell — in biology
  4. game — wild animals
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. board — a committee
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. board — to get on
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rash — hasty
  22. mark — a trace
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mark — a grade

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