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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. wound — an injury
  3. pitch — completely
  4. track — a song
  5. board — a committee
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. present — a gift
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. present — there
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. board — to get on
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. track — a path
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. calf — of the leg

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