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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rock — a stone
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. march — the month
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bank — for money
  10. game — wild animals
  11. board — a committee
  12. ball — a great time
  13. game — a match
  14. march — music
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bank — for money
  17. rock — music
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bank — of a river
  20. ball — a dance
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. march — the month
  24. rock — to move gently

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