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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 120 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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. board — to get on
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. land — to come down
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. land — ground
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. pass — a permit
  14. season — of the year
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. season — in sport
  17. land — a country
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. board — a flat piece

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