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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. plane — a tool
  4. mark — a grade
  5. last — to go on
  6. swing — to play on
  7. last — finally
  8. swing — in golf
  9. ball — a great time
  10. pop — soda
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mark — a trace
  14. last — final
  15. swing — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — a division
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. board — to get on
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. board — a committee

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