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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. cap — a lid
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. shower — to wash
  7. board — to get on
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. shower — rain
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. season — of the year
  13. cap — of ice
  14. track — a path
  15. cap — a hat
  16. fine — all right
  17. track — to keep track
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. season — in sport
  20. fine — high quality
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. track — a song
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. temple — a place of worship

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