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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. board — to get on
  3. scale — size or range
  4. mark — a trace
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mark — a grade
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. row — to paddle
  12. board — a committee
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. hand — help
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. hand — in cards
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. scale — in music
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mark — to pay attention

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