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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pitch — completely
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. swing — in golf
  8. perch — the fish
  9. prune — to trim
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. board — to get on
  12. swing — music
  13. hand — help
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. swing — to play on
  16. deal — to handle
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. prune — to trim
  21. hand — in cards
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. safe — a strongbox

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