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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. toast — bread
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. track — a song
  5. ball — a dance
  6. firm — steady
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. board — to get on
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. track — a path
  11. firm — a company
  12. ball — a great time
  13. track — to keep track
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pitch — completely
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. firm — decided

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