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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. shower — to wash
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. stand — to bear
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. file — a tool
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — a grade
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. shower — rain
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. board — a committee
  20. file — a document
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. file — a line of people
  23. board — to get on
  24. bowl — a dish

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