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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. board — to get on
  3. bulb — for light
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bulb — for light
  7. last — to go on
  8. fine — high quality
  9. last — finally
  10. board — a committee
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mark — a trace
  18. fine — all right

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