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

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. board — a committee
  9. rash — hasty
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rash — a series
  14. board — to get on
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stand — to bear

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