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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. board — to get on
  3. last — final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. key — the most important part
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pass — a permit
  8. last — finally
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. firm — steady
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. firm — decided
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. board — a committee
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. last — to go on

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