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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. march — the month
  5. court — of law
  6. court — for sport
  7. march — the month
  8. lie — to recline
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. court — of a king
  11. pitch — completely
  12. toast — bread
  13. pass — a permit
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lean — thin
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. march — music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. board — a committee
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. board — to get on

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