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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fall — to drop
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. stand — to bear
  10. fall — the season
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. march — the month
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. march — music
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. board — a committee
  20. fall — to drop
  21. march — the month
  22. ground — the earth
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stand — on your feet

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