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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. bank — for money
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. board — to get on
  5. bore — to drill
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bore — to tire
  9. board — a committee
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bank — for money
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — moving air
  18. scale — size or range
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. scale — in music
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bank — of a river
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. pitch — completely

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