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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. band — a music group
  4. court — for sport
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wake — a trail
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. band — a ring
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. board — to get on
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. court — of law
  15. fine — all right
  16. court — of a king
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. board — a committee
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. saw — the tool
  24. board — a flat piece

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