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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. face — to point toward
  5. swing — to play on
  6. toast — bread
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. ground — a position
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. swing — music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bank — for money
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. swing — in golf
  19. face — to confront
  20. bank — of a river
  21. board — to get on
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bank — for money

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