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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 King held a masked ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. plane — a tool
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. rash — hasty
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. board — a committee
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. board — to get on
  13. ball — a great time
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mark — a trace
  22. chip — for betting
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. rash — a series

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