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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. deal — to handle
  4. board — a committee
  5. toast — bread
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. saw — the tool
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. board — to get on
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitch — completely
  15. roll — a list
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. roll — a cake
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. track — a song
  24. shower — rain

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