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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. board — a committee
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. drill — the tool
  6. perch — the fish
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. wake — a trail
  9. board — to get on
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. cap — of ice
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cap — a lid
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. drill — army training
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cap — a hat
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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