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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. scale — in music
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stand — to bear
  9. sharp — clever
  10. face — to point toward
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. date — the fruit
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. perch — the fish
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. scale — size or range
  17. board — to get on
  18. face — to confront
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. rush — hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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