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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. last — to go on
  5. last — final
  6. pitch — completely
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. last — finally
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. board — to get on
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — a committee
  20. present — a gift
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. calf — of the leg

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