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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. board — to get on
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. row — to paddle
  5. net — in sport
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. net — for catching
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. net — after costs
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pop — soda
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. spring — of water
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. row — a line
  21. board — a committee
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. pitch — completely
  24. stand — for spectators

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