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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 preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. mug — a cup
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. march — the month
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. present — there
  10. kid — to tease
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pitch — completely
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. board — to get on
  16. present — the time now
  17. march — music
  18. mug — to rob
  19. march — the month
  20. present — a gift
  21. mug — a face
  22. ball — a dance
  23. kid — child
  24. board — a committee

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