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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. coach — pulled by horses
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. squash — to crush
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. race — humankind
  9. season — in sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. board — to get on
  12. squash — the sport
  13. race — a contest
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — soda
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. race — the arms race
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. season — of the year
  23. pop — to visit
  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