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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. object — to protest
  4. game — a match
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. object — an aim
  7. content — the amount
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wind — moving air
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. object — a thing
  16. content — happy
  17. board — a committee
  18. shower — rain
  19. wind — moving air
  20. shower — to wash
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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