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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bear — the animal
  9. board — a committee
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pitch — completely
  14. branch — a division
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bear — the animal
  22. board — to get on
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. sharp — clever

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