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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 120 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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. game — wild animals
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rock — a stone
  5. cold — not warm
  6. fine — all right
  7. mark — a grade
  8. ground — crushed
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. fine — high quality
  11. game — a match
  12. board — a committee
  13. mark — a trace
  14. board — to get on
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. rock — music
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. ground — a position

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