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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. firm — a company
  3. hand — in cards
  4. firm — decided
  5. march — music
  6. board — a committee
  7. march — the month
  8. hand — help
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. board — to get on
  16. pitch — completely
  17. key — for a lock
  18. firm — steady
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. march — the month
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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