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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mark — a trace
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. deal — to handle
  7. roll — a list
  8. pop — music
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — soda
  12. spring — a coil
  13. board — a committee
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. board — to get on

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