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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 116 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. land — ground
  3. pit — in a race
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. season — in sport
  6. dip — to sink
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. board — to get on
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. season — of the year
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pit — a hole
  20. land — a country
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rush — hurry
  23. land — to come down
  24. nail — for a hammer

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