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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. court — of law
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. board — to get on
  9. ground — the earth
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. board — a committee
  12. pass — a permit
  13. ground — crushed
  14. mark — a trace
  15. ground — a position
  16. snap — to click
  17. court — of a king
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. court — for sport
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. mark — a grade
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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