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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bound — tied together
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. board — to get on
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pitch — completely
  10. board — a committee
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. tube — a container
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rock — a stone
  18. tube — the underground
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. season — in sport
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rock — music
  24. board — a flat piece

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