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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. board — to get on
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bat — the animal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mark — a grade
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. key — in music
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. march — the month
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. march — music
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. board — a committee
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wave — of the sea

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