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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bass — low music
  5. board — a committee
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. key — in music
  9. last — to go on
  10. last — finally
  11. track — a path
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fine — all right
  15. last — final
  16. track — a song
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fine — high quality
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. board — to get on
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. track — to keep track
  24. leaves — lets stay

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