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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. cap — a lid
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. board — to get on
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mug — to rob
  8. march — music
  9. pit — a hole
  10. cap — of ice
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. mug — a face
  13. board — a committee
  14. march — the month
  15. cap — a hat
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. mug — a cup
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rock — music
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a word
  22. rock — a stone
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. march — the month

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