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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. wound — an injury
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. board — a committee
  6. cell — a phone
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. band — a ring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. cell — in biology
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mark — a trace
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. board — to get on
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. band — a music group

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