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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. board — to get on
  3. pitch — completely
  4. track — a song
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. board — a committee
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. fall — to drop
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. fall — to drop
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. fall — the season
  16. track — to keep track
  17. march — music
  18. track — a path
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. march — the month
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bay — a horse colour

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