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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. board — a committee
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. board — to get on
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. drill — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. face — to point toward
  11. drill — a practice
  12. foot — a measure
  13. saw — the tool
  14. face — part of the head
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. row — to paddle
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. row — a line
  19. drill — army training
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. face — to confront
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. saw — the tool
  24. racket — for tennis

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