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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · board · stand · mark · rock · deal · foot · present

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. mark — a grade
  4. present — a gift
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rock — music
  9. rock — a stone
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. board — to get on
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. present — there
  18. present — the time now
  19. mark — a trace
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rest — what's left

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