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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · lie · fan · present · bear · pitch · racket · shower

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. present — the time now
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. present — a gift
  5. board — a committee
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. shower — rain
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. shower — to wash
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pitch — completely
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — to get on
  19. bear — the animal
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. lie — to recline
  23. present — there
  24. bear — the animal

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