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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. track — a song
  4. board — a committee
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. track — a path
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. track — to keep track
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. rock — a stone
  19. spring — a coil
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rock — music
  22. band — a music group
  23. board — to get on
  24. band — a ring

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