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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 116 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: mine · mate · cap · mouse · drill · fine · board · spell

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. fine — high quality
  7. drill — army training
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. spell — magic
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fine — all right
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — of ice
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mouse — for a computer

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