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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pop — soda
  4. spring — of water
  5. board — to get on
  6. rash — a series
  7. pit — in a race
  8. spring — the season
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. cap — a hat
  11. spring — a coil
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. game — a match
  18. cap — of ice
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. pop — music
  21. rock — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. board — a committee
  24. rash — hasty

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