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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 120 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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. pitch — completely
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. net — in sport
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. club — for dancing
  12. board — to get on
  13. net — for catching
  14. club — for golf
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. club — a group
  20. suit — in cards
  21. net — after costs
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — to fit

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