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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · mug · pound · ruler · board · hide · game · fan

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. mug — a face
  3. board — to get on
  4. game — a match
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pound — a weight
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. row — a line
  15. mug — a cup
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. board — a committee
  23. mug — to rob
  24. fan — a supporter

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