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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 124 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. march — the month
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. deal — to handle
  5. ground — a position
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. board — a committee
  8. march — the month
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. ground — the earth
  11. drill — army training
  12. ground — crushed
  13. drill — a practice
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. drill — the tool
  17. rock — a stone
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. content — the amount
  20. march — music
  21. content — happy
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rock — music
  24. content — videos and posts

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