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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. track — a path
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. land — a country
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. land — to come down
  9. pop — music
  10. track — to keep track
  11. rock — a stone
  12. track — a song
  13. land — ground
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rock — music
  20. board — a committee
  21. fine — all right
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. board — to get on
  24. arm — a part of something

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