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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cold — an illness
  4. board — to get on
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. board — a committee
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. kid — child
  9. cold — not warm
  10. suit — clothes
  11. track — a song
  12. rest — what's left
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rest — a break
  15. suit — in cards
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. kid — to tease
  19. track — a path
  20. suit — to fit
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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