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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. ball — a great time
  3. bore — to tire
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bore — to drill
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wake — a trail
  8. board — to get on
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. game — wild animals
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. board — a committee
  14. ball — a dance
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. board — a flat piece

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