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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — a grade
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. toast — bread
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. scale — in music
  10. board — to get on
  11. scale — size or range
  12. land — to come down
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rule — government
  15. land — a country
  16. net — after costs
  17. rule — a law
  18. land — ground
  19. net — in sport
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. net — for catching
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. board — a committee

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