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

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. board — a committee
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. scale — in music
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. board — to get on
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. swing — music

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