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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. race — a contest
  10. pitch — completely
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. race — humankind
  16. board — to get on
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. race — the arms race
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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