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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 cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — music
  8. plane — a tool
  9. swing — in golf
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. can — to be able to
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. capital — a city
  17. prune — to trim
  18. board — to get on
  19. can — a tin
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. can — a tin
  24. capital — money

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