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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pitch — completely
  4. board — a committee
  5. fine — high quality
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fine — all right
  11. sharp — clever
  12. board — to get on
  13. saw — the tool
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. scale — in music
  24. pitch — a sports field

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