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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. game — wild animals
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. game — a match
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. pitch — completely
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pitch — a sports field

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