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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wound — an injury
  6. board — to get on
  7. ground — a position
  8. board — a committee
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. mark — a grade
  14. rock — a stone
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. bat — the animal
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bat — in an idiom

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