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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. net — for catching
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. sharp — clever
  6. track — a song
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. net — in sport
  10. track — a path
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. net — after costs
  16. perch — the fish
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cabinet — ministers

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