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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 116 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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. ground — crushed
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stem — to come from
  12. board — a committee
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. season — in sport
  15. pitch — completely
  16. perch — the fish
  17. lean — thin
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. ground — a position
  21. season — of the year
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. lean — to bend

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