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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mark — a grade
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fine — all right
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — to get on
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — ground
  16. squash — to crush
  17. rush — hurry
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. fine — high quality
  22. squash — the sport
  23. land — a country
  24. pitcher — a jug

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