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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. land — ground
  3. track — a song
  4. board — to get on
  5. pit — in a race
  6. swing — to play on
  7. key — in music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pit — a hole
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. key — the most important part
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rash — hasty
  18. land — to come down
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. swing — music
  21. rash — a series
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. land — a country
  24. fan — a supporter

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