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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. cold — an illness
  5. board — to get on
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cold — not warm
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. board — a committee
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. content — the amount
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. mark — a trace
  18. fine — high quality
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. fine — all right
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. content — happy
  24. cold — the Cold War

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