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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: row · can · board · sharp · bound · pitch · firm · tear

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pitch — completely
  4. board — to get on
  5. firm — a company
  6. bound — certain
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. can — to be able to
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. row — a line
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. tear — from crying
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bound — obliged
  19. tear — from crying
  20. firm — steady
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. firm — decided
  23. bound — tied together
  24. tear — to rip

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