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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. board — a committee
  3. mine — for digging
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. vault — a safe
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pitch — completely
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bound — tied together
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. board — to get on
  17. bound — obliged
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bound — certain
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stem — of a plant

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