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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. spell — a short time
  3. band — a ring
  4. cap — a hat
  5. board — to get on
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mug — to rob
  10. cap — of ice
  11. spell — magic
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — a cup
  14. spell — letters
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mate — a partner
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. drill — army training
  19. cap — a lid
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. mate — a friend
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. mate — to breed

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