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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. band — a ring
  3. board — a committee
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. track — a path
  6. foot — a measure
  7. track — a song
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. court — for sport
  14. prune — to trim
  15. court — of law
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. court — of a king
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. band — a music group
  20. track — to keep track
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rock — to move gently

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