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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.

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: leaves · hide · pitch · date · object · ground · rule · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. ground — a position
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rule — a law
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. ground — crushed
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. ground — the earth
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. object — to protest
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. rule — government
  15. board — to get on
  16. date — the fruit
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. object — a thing
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. pitch — completely
  24. object — an aim

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