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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cap — a hat
  4. pit — a hole
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. cap — a lid
  7. board — a committee
  8. present — there
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. present — a gift
  12. ball — a dance
  13. fork — in a road
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. cold — an illness
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cap — of ice
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. cold — not warm
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. present — the time now
  24. pit — in a race

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