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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've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. board — to get on
  3. cold — not warm
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. kid — child
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bank — of a river
  13. game — a match
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pit — in a race
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. game — wild animals
  23. cold — an illness
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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