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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. date — the fruit
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pitch — completely
  6. chest — a box
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. board — a committee
  9. bass — the fish
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bass — low music
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. craft — boats
  16. board — to get on
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. chest — of your body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. craft — a skill

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