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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. toast — bread
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. bat — the animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rock — a stone
  11. content — the amount
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. board — to get on
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. rock — music
  17. pass — a permit
  18. kid — child
  19. perch — the fish
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. kid — to tease
  24. content — happy

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