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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: board · track · mark · cell · kick · bowl · bay · mate

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. board — a committee
  3. mark — a trace
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mate — a friend
  13. kick — in football
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mate — a partner
  16. board — to get on
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cell — a phone
  22. track — a path
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. track — to keep track

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