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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. present — there
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bound — certain
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. present — a gift
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. face — part of the head
  14. net — in sport
  15. face — to confront
  16. board — to get on
  17. stand — to bear
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bound — tied together
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bound — obliged
  24. present — the time now

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