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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. board — to get on
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. prune — to trim
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. date — the fruit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. board — a committee
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. nail — for a hammer

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