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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. deal — to handle
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rule — government
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. chair — a leader
  7. board — to get on
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. board — a committee
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — wild animals
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. game — a match
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rule — a law
  24. pound — a weight

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