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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cold — an illness
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. board — a committee
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lie — to recline
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mark — a trace
  17. firm — a company
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. firm — steady
  20. cold — not warm
  21. board — to get on
  22. firm — decided
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. perch — the fish

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