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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. board — a committee
  3. ground — the earth
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ground — a position
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rule — a law
  8. court — for sport
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mark — a trace
  11. board — to get on
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cap — a hat
  14. ground — crushed
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. court — of law
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. cap — of ice
  22. court — of a king
  23. rule — government
  24. nail — on a finger

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