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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. spring — the season
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stock — shares
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a path
  11. board — a committee
  12. mate — a friend
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. ball — a dance
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stock — goods
  17. spring — of water
  18. track — a song
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mate — to breed
  23. board — to get on
  24. mark — a grade

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