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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. mark — a grade
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mark — a trace
  5. roll — a list
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. sharp — clever
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. club — a group
  12. content — happy
  13. rest — a break
  14. club — for golf
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. content — the amount
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rest — what's left
  19. club — for dancing
  20. roll — a cake
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. roll — on a roll

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