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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pop — music
  3. last — to go on
  4. board — a committee
  5. saw — the tool
  6. stock — shares
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. cap — of ice
  13. last — final
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. last — finally
  19. stock — goods
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. squash — the sport
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bay — a horse colour

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