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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. board — a committee
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pass — a permit
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. track — to keep track
  9. board — to get on
  10. snap — to click
  11. ball — a dance
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. track — a path
  16. deal — to handle
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. track — a song
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. ball — a great time
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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