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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. land — a country
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hand — help
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. kick — in football
  10. board — a committee
  11. bound — tied together
  12. land — to come down
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bound — certain
  15. land — ground
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. board — to get on
  20. prune — to trim
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bound — obliged

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