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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pop — to visit
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. board — to get on
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. season — in sport
  12. fall — to drop
  13. deal — to handle
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. season — of the year
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pop — soda
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. fall — the season
  22. mark — a grade
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pop — music

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