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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mark — a grade
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. track — a path
  5. date — the fruit
  6. track — a song
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. roll — a list
  12. season — of the year
  13. board — a committee
  14. craft — a skill
  15. season — in sport
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. track — to keep track
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. craft — boats
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. board — a flat piece

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