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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: club · mate · cell · mark · board · wake · nail · object

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. object — to protest
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mate — a friend
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — to get on
  9. cell — a phone
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wake — a trail
  12. object — a thing
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. cell — in biology
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. mate — a partner
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for golf
  22. mate — to breed
  23. object — an aim
  24. nail — for a hammer

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