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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. plane — a tool
  8. board — a committee
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. board — to get on
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. date — the fruit
  24. fall — to drop

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