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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. perch — the fish
  3. track — a path
  4. ball — a dance
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mate — a partner
  9. track — a song
  10. board — to get on
  11. staff — employees
  12. mate — to breed
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. mate — a friend
  16. ball — a great time
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. track — to keep track
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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