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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · bass · track · mark · hide · fine · board · deal

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. board — a committee
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bass — the fish
  6. mark — a trace
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mark — a grade
  9. board — to get on
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. track — a path
  16. bass — low music
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. track — a song
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fine — all right
  24. hide — to keep secret

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