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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. board — to get on
  3. clip — to cut
  4. drill — army training
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. game — a match
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. clip — for paper
  9. mark — a grade
  10. drill — the tool
  11. scale — in music
  12. board — a committee
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. game — wild animals
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. drill — a practice
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. clip — a video
  24. deal — an agreement

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