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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mark — a trace
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. board — to get on
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bat — the animal
  7. board — a committee
  8. mark — a grade
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. band — a music group
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. stock — goods
  16. last — finally
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. last — final
  21. band — a ring
  22. last — to go on
  23. stock — shares
  24. calf — a young animal

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