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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. board — to get on
  4. track — to keep track
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. spring — of water
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spring — the season
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. spring — a coil
  13. track — a song
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. object — an aim
  16. track — a path
  17. board — a committee
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. object — to protest
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wake — a trail
  24. object — a thing

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