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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. board — a committee
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. track — a song
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. track — to keep track
  12. mine — for digging
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. plane — a tool
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bat — the animal
  22. track — a path
  23. stem — to come from
  24. mine — belonging to me

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