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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bear — the animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. snap — to click
  13. ground — a position
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. pitch — completely
  16. vault — a safe
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. board — to get on
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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