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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. ball — a great time
  3. march — music
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mark — a grade
  6. plane — a tool
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. march — the month
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pitch — completely
  13. drill — the tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mark — a trace
  17. drill — a practice
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. drill — army training
  21. march — the month
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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