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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. present — the time now
  4. board — a committee
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. present — a gift
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. field — a subject
  10. bank — for money
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bank — of a river
  13. wake — a trail
  14. band — a music group
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. field — for sport
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. present — there
  20. bank — for money
  21. field — farmland
  22. mark — a grade
  23. board — to get on
  24. band — a ring

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