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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. charge — a price
  4. pit — in a race
  5. board — a committee
  6. march — music
  7. charge — electricity
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. march — the month
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. board — to get on
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. march — the month
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pit — a hole
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. charge — in control
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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