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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. game — wild animals
  3. kick — in football
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pit — a hole
  7. board — to get on
  8. fall — to drop
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fall — the season
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. spell — letters
  16. game — a match
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. fall — to drop
  23. spell — magic
  24. pit — in a race

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