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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. board — to get on
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pop — to visit
  5. board — a committee
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pop — soda
  8. club — for golf
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. season — of the year
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mate — a friend
  14. club — for dancing
  15. scale — in music
  16. mark — a trace
  17. file — a line of people
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pop — music
  21. club — a group
  22. season — in sport
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a tool

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