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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. mate — to breed
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mate — a friend
  8. board — to get on
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mark — a grade
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mate — a partner
  14. game — a match
  15. stem — to come from
  16. board — a committee
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. scale — in music
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. squash — to crush
  24. game — wild animals

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