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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pit — a hole
  6. board — to get on
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. face — part of the head
  15. date — the fruit
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. band — a music group
  20. pitch — completely
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. board — a committee
  24. band — a ring

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