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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. key — in music
  3. board — to get on
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. drill — the tool
  6. field — a subject
  7. key — for a lock
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pitch — completely
  11. tube — the underground
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pit — in a race
  15. field — farmland
  16. pit — a hole
  17. tube — a container
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. saw — the tool
  22. field — for sport
  23. key — the most important part
  24. saw — the tool

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