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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. board — a committee
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. can — a tin
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. spell — magic
  8. rock — music
  9. can — a tin
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. spell — letters
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. spell — a short time
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — a city
  18. fine — all right
  19. capital — money
  20. fine — high quality
  21. rock — a stone
  22. rest — what's left
  23. board — to get on
  24. bowl — a football final

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