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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. present — the time now
  4. object — to protest
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. field — farmland
  10. object — a thing
  11. mark — a trace
  12. march — the month
  13. board — to get on
  14. object — an aim
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. march — the month
  17. field — a subject
  18. mark — a grade
  19. present — there
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. present — a gift
  22. sharp — clever
  23. field — for sport
  24. march — music

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