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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. perch — the fish
  3. staff — employees
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pitch — completely
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. board — a committee
  10. wax — to grow
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kid — child
  18. staff — employees
  19. kick — in football
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. staff — a stick
  24. wax — for sculpting

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