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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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. march — the month
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. march — music
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. capital — money
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. march — the month
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bore — to tire
  16. capital — a city
  17. board — to get on
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mouse — the animal

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