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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. board — to get on
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. game — wild animals
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. board — a committee
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wake — a trail
  19. season — of the year
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. game — a match
  23. deal — to handle
  24. vault — a safe

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