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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. drill — army training
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. present — there
  9. present — the time now
  10. stand — to bear
  11. toast — bread
  12. bass — low music
  13. board — a committee
  14. current — electric
  15. present — a gift
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bass — the fish
  19. current — happening now
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. current — of water
  22. drill — a practice
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. drill — the tool

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