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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. cap — a lid
  4. can — a tin
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. board — a committee
  7. can — a tin
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. cap — a hat
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. swing — in golf
  15. swing — to play on
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. row — a line
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cap — of ice
  20. row — to paddle
  21. sharp — clever
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. can — to be able to
  24. swing — music

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