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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mate — a partner
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. court — for sport
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. court — of law
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. court — of a king
  15. mate — a friend
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mate — to breed
  18. board — a committee
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitch — completely
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bulb — for light
  24. object — a thing

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