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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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 grade
  3. sharp — clever
  4. march — music
  5. mark — a trace
  6. key — in music
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bore — to tire
  12. key — for a lock
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. spring — the season
  15. key — the most important part
  16. board — a committee
  17. wake — a trail
  18. march — the month
  19. bore — to drill
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. march — the month
  22. board — to get on
  23. spring — of water
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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