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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. board — to get on
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cell — a phone
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bear — the animal
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. game — a match
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. board — a committee
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. cue — for pool
  21. snap — to click
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bear — the animal

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