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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. land — a country
  7. spell — a short time
  8. suit — clothes
  9. land — to come down
  10. bear — the animal
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — in cards
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. land — ground
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. board — a committee
  19. ball — a dance
  20. pitch — completely
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. ball — a great time
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. board — to get on

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