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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 116 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's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pit — a hole
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. pit — in a race
  7. last — final
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. board — to get on
  11. march — the month
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — music
  14. board — a committee
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. last — finally
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. last — to go on
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitch — completely
  24. mouse — for a computer

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