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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rock — a stone
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — decided
  7. file — a tool
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. object — a thing
  11. hand — help
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rock — music
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. object — to protest
  16. file — a document
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. toast — bread
  20. board — a committee
  21. firm — a company
  22. file — a line of people
  23. object — an aim
  24. pitch — a sports field

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