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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. fall — to drop
  6. board — to get on
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fall — the season
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. root — of a word
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. fall — to drop
  15. board — a committee
  16. scale — size or range
  17. root — of a plant
  18. chest — of your body
  19. toast — bread
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. root — the cause
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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