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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. last — finally
  3. net — after costs
  4. stand — to bear
  5. net — in sport
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. swing — music
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. suit — clothes
  11. last — final
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. suit — to fit
  15. net — for catching
  16. last — to go on
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wound — an injury
  19. swing — to play on
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pitch — completely
  22. swing — in golf
  23. board — to get on
  24. suit — in cards

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