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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bank — of a river
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. season — in sport
  8. firm — steady
  9. bank — for money
  10. bear — the animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. board — a committee
  13. firm — decided
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. firm — a company
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. pitch — completely
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. season — of the year
  21. bank — for money
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. board — to get on

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