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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. row — to paddle
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. board — to get on
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. key — in music
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rule — a law
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. key — the most important part
  13. fine — all right
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. board — a committee
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rule — government
  20. fine — high quality
  21. row — a line
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. key — for a lock

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