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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. content — happy
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. firm — a company
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. content — the amount
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bark — to shout
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. firm — steady
  23. board — to get on
  24. firm — decided

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