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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rest — what's left
  4. key — the most important part
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. row — to paddle
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rest — what's left
  9. staff — employees
  10. race — the arms race
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. staff — employees
  13. key — in music
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. staff — a stick
  16. rest — a break
  17. key — for a lock
  18. race — a contest
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. board — a committee
  21. mark — a grade
  22. row — a line
  23. race — humankind
  24. board — to get on

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