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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 120 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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. board — a committee
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — of a river
  5. game — wild animals
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ball — a great time
  9. board — to get on
  10. bank — for money
  11. ball — a dance
  12. club — a group
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. rule — a law
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. game — a match
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pop — music
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — government
  24. pop — soda

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