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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pitch — completely
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. can — a tin
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wake — a trail
  12. cell — a phone
  13. can — a tin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. can — to be able to
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cell — in biology
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. cell — in a prison

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