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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 120 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: land · fan · mug · pop · board · present · face · mark

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. land — ground
  4. pop — to visit
  5. mark — a grade
  6. pop — music
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. land — a country
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. mark — a trace
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. present — a gift
  13. mug — a cup
  14. present — the time now
  15. mug — to rob
  16. face — to point toward
  17. board — a committee
  18. mug — a face
  19. land — to come down
  20. pop — soda
  21. present — there
  22. face — to confront
  23. face — part of the head
  24. board — to get on

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