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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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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: cell · cap · pop · sharp · pitcher · lie · board · toast

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. board — a committee
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. lie — to recline
  9. toast — bread
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. cap — a hat
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pop — to visit
  16. cell — a phone
  17. sharp — clever
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cell — in biology
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — music
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. board — to get on
  24. toast — the most admired

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