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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. board — a committee
  5. pitch — completely
  6. board — to get on
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. season — of the year
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. band — a music group
  14. sharp — clever
  15. season — in sport
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. drill — the tool
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. drill — army training
  20. band — a ring
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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