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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. roll — a list
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mark — a grade
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. drill — army training
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mark — a trace
  16. drill — a practice
  17. snap — to click
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. drill — the tool
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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