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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. spell — magic
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. march — music
  6. lie — to recline
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. spell — letters
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. board — to get on
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. march — the month
  20. pitch — completely
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. spell — a short time
  23. march — the month
  24. nail — for a hammer

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