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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 120 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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. board — to get on
  3. swing — to play on
  4. mark — a trace
  5. staff — employees
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. swing — in golf
  11. board — a committee
  12. stem — to come from
  13. rash — hasty
  14. vault — a safe
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. swing — music
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rash — a series
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. staff — a stick
  23. ball — a dance
  24. staff — employees

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