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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. board — a committee
  8. file — a tool
  9. bound — tied together
  10. file — a line of people
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. file — a document
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. game — wild animals
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bound — certain
  18. bulb — for light
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bound — obliged
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. leaves — to go away

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