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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mark — a trace
  6. drill — a practice
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. land — a country
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. staff — employees
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. staff — a stick
  16. land — ground
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. drill — the tool
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stem — to come from
  21. board — a committee
  22. staff — employees
  23. drill — army training
  24. land — to come down

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