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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pop — to visit
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pop — music
  8. net — for catching
  9. board — to get on
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. mark — a trace
  12. pop — soda
  13. board — a committee
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fine — all right
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. net — after costs
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. fine — high quality
  24. net — in sport

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