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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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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: board · rule · pop · rash · cap · coach · mark · mine

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pop — soda
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rash — a series
  13. mark — a grade
  14. cap — a hat
  15. board — a committee
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rule — a law
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mine — for digging
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. rule — government
  23. rash — hasty
  24. pop — to visit

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