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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mate — a friend
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. spell — letters
  8. game — wild animals
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spell — a short time
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rest — what's left
  14. board — a committee
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. game — a match
  18. dip — to sink
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mate — to breed
  22. spell — magic
  23. fine — all right
  24. mate — a partner

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