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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. track — to keep track
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. stand — to bear
  5. track — a song
  6. mate — a friend
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. track — a path
  13. mate — a partner
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. kick — in football
  18. board — to get on
  19. net — in sport
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. squash — the sport
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. squash — to crush
  24. arm — part of the body

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