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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mark — a grade
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. board — to get on
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. net — after costs
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. last — finally
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. last — final
  15. cold — not warm
  16. stand — to bear
  17. net — for catching
  18. board — a committee
  19. net — in sport
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cold — an illness
  22. last — to go on
  23. scale — size or range
  24. mark — a trace

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