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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. last — finally
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rash — hasty
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. mark — a trace
  7. craft — boats
  8. key — in music
  9. foot — a measure
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. last — to go on
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. craft — a skill
  16. last — final
  17. rash — a series
  18. mine — for digging
  19. board — a committee
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. board — to get on
  23. mark — a grade
  24. key — for a lock

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