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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fork — in a road
  7. field — for sport
  8. capital — a city
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. game — a match
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. board — to get on
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. field — a subject
  17. capital — money
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. board — a committee
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. field — farmland
  23. fork — to eat with
  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