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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mug — a face
  4. board — to get on
  5. march — the month
  6. mark — a grade
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. capital — a city
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. board — a committee
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. capital — money
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mug — to rob
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. dip — to sink
  24. mug — a cup

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