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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. swing — music
  6. can — a tin
  7. mate — a friend
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. can — a tin
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. swing — in golf
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mug — a face
  18. mate — a partner
  19. game — a match
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. mate — to breed
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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