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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. board — a committee
  3. rule — government
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rule — a law
  6. club — for golf
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. capital — money
  13. game — a match
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. board — to get on
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. game — wild animals
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for dancing
  22. capital — a city
  23. lie — to recline
  24. capital — a big letter

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