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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 116 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. board — a committee
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mark — a grade
  6. track — a path
  7. bass — low music
  8. bore — to tire
  9. track — a song
  10. net — after costs
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bore — to drill
  17. field — a subject
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. board — to get on
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bass — the fish
  22. field — for sport
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. field — farmland

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