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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. fine — high quality
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. row — to paddle
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. board — a committee
  8. firm — steady
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. firm — decided
  11. pop — music
  12. board — to get on
  13. pop — soda
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. row — a line
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fine — all right
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. firm — a company
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. pass — a permit

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