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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. land — to come down
  8. board — a committee
  9. land — ground
  10. land — a country
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pop — soda
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. kid — to tease
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pop — music
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. board — to get on
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rock — a stone
  24. pass — a permit

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