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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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 grade
  3. shower — rain
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bass — low music
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. board — a committee
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bass — the fish
  16. shower — to wash
  17. craft — boats
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. wind — moving air
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. board — to get on
  24. craft — a skill

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