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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pitch — completely
  3. board — to get on
  4. kid — child
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. kid — to tease
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. board — a committee
  10. pit — in a race
  11. ball — a dance
  12. tear — from crying
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. tear — from crying
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. object — a thing
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. tear — to rip
  23. ball — a great time
  24. coach — a trainer

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