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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. fall — to drop
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. mine — for digging
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. track — to keep track
  7. board — to get on
  8. track — a song
  9. suit — to fit
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. season — in sport
  14. suit — in cards
  15. land — a country
  16. board — a committee
  17. fall — the season
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. land — to come down
  20. fall — to drop
  21. suit — clothes
  22. season — of the year
  23. land — ground
  24. track — a path

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