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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. can — a tin
  4. saw — the tool
  5. scale — size or range
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. can — to be able to
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. chest — of your body
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pit — a hole
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. can — a tin
  19. board — to get on
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. saw — the tool
  24. scale — in music

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