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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  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. board — to get on
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pop — music
  4. hand — help
  5. pop — to visit
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. board — a committee
  13. spell — magic
  14. mine — for digging
  15. rest — what's left
  16. spell — letters
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. pop — soda
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rest — a break
  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