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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. ground — a position
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. ball — a dance
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mark — a trace
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. ground — the earth
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. ground — crushed
  24. stem — of a plant

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