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

Word bank: bowl · ground · board · hide · clip · present · deal · toast

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. present — there
  8. board — a committee
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. deal — to handle
  11. board — to get on
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. ground — the earth
  14. clip — a video
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. clip — to cut
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — a position
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. clip — for paper
  23. toast — bread
  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