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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 124 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pound — a weight
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. game — a match
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stem — to come from
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. board — a committee
  14. rule — government
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pitch — completely
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. board — to get on
  24. hand — help

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