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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — a permit
  7. board — a committee
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. board — to get on
  11. stock — shares
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cap — a hat
  20. toast — bread
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cell — in biology
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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