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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. season — of the year
  3. pitch — completely
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — to get on
  10. wax — to grow
  11. track — a path
  12. row — to paddle
  13. track — to keep track
  14. object — a thing
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. season — in sport
  17. row — a line
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. track — a song
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. object — an aim
  23. object — to protest
  24. wax — for sculpting

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