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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. face — to confront
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. board — to get on
  8. suit — to fit
  9. present — there
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. suit — clothes
  13. face — to point toward
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. present — the time now
  17. suit — in cards
  18. board — a committee
  19. face — part of the head
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fine — high quality
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. fine — all right

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