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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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. bass — the instrument
  4. fall — to drop
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. can — a tin
  7. fall — the season
  8. last — to go on
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. can — a tin
  11. rule — government
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bass — low music
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. last — final
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rule — a law
  18. bass — the fish
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. board — a committee
  22. can — to be able to
  23. last — finally
  24. board — to get on

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