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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. wound — an injury
  5. prune — to trim
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mate — a friend
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. pitch — completely
  12. hand — in cards
  13. board — a committee
  14. wound — an injury
  15. mate — a partner
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mate — to breed
  23. hand — help
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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