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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. rest — a break
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. field — for sport
  8. mug — a face
  9. field — farmland
  10. mug — a cup
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. field — a subject
  18. rash — hasty
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fine — all right
  21. rest — what's left
  22. mug — to rob
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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