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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. rule — a law
  3. content — the amount
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. rule — government
  7. content — happy
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pitch — completely
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a dance
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. chair — a leader
  22. board — to get on
  23. ball — a great time
  24. nail — for a hammer

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