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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — a grade
  4. board — to get on
  5. game — a match
  6. swing — in golf
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mug — to rob
  14. key — the most important part
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. swing — to play on
  18. key — in music
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. swing — music
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. board — a committee

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