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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. saw — the tool
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. march — music
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pop — soda
  10. board — a committee
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pop — music
  16. season — of the year
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. march — the month
  20. dip — to sink
  21. march — the month
  22. season — in sport
  23. pop — to visit
  24. trunk — of a tree

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