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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 116 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. board — a committee
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. craft — boats
  9. object — to protest
  10. net — after costs
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. craft — a skill
  15. net — for catching
  16. object — a thing
  17. wind — moving air
  18. object — an aim
  19. board — to get on
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. vault — a safe
  23. pitch — completely
  24. net — in sport

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