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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. stem — to come from
  3. ball — a dance
  4. board — a committee
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. saw — the tool
  7. board — to get on
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rock — music
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. dip — to sink
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. ball — a round shape

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