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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. hand — help
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. current — electric
  5. hand — in cards
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. current — happening now
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. board — a committee
  13. mate — to breed
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mate — a friend
  16. toast — bread
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. march — the month
  19. current — of water
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. march — the month
  22. mate — a partner
  23. march — music
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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