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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. row — a line
  12. tube — a container
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. board — to get on
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. row — to paddle
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pitch — completely

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