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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wind — moving air
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bound — tied together
  5. swing — in golf
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. pit — a hole
  9. rock — music
  10. bound — certain
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pit — in a race
  15. scale — in music
  16. bound — obliged
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. swing — music
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rock — a stone
  22. swing — to play on
  23. board — a committee
  24. wind — to turn a key

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