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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mug — to rob
  9. spell — letters
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. deal — to handle
  14. spell — magic
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rock — a stone
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mug — a face
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. board — a committee
  23. spell — a short time
  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