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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. mug — a cup
  3. band — a ring
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. rash — hasty
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. band — a music group
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mug — to rob
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. game — a match
  19. game — wild animals
  20. mug — a face
  21. pitch — completely
  22. plane — a tool
  23. board — to get on
  24. band — a rubber band

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