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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. swing — in golf
  4. wake — a trail
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. rush — hurry
  10. board — to get on
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. swing — to play on
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bore — to drill
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. swing — music
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. game — a match
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. game — wild animals

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