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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 124 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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. board — to get on
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. fine — all right
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. drill — army training
  16. board — a committee
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. row — to paddle
  20. pitch — completely
  21. land — to come down
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bear — the animal
  24. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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