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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. board — to get on
  4. march — the month
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. spell — magic
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. march — the month
  12. spell — letters
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. mate — a friend
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. march — music
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. spell — a short time
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pit — in a race
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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