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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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Word bank
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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: mark · board · fine · fall · swing · content · shower · stand

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. content — the amount
  3. board — to get on
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. swing — in golf
  6. swing — music
  7. fine — all right
  8. mark — a trace
  9. content — happy
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fine — high quality
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — a committee
  16. mark — a grade
  17. shower — rain
  18. swing — to play on
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. content — videos and posts

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