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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. can — to be able to
  4. game — a match
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. land — ground
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pop — music
  12. board — a committee
  13. pop — to visit
  14. pop — soda
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. land — to come down
  18. game — wild animals
  19. can — a tin
  20. fall — to drop
  21. can — a tin
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. land — a country

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