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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 120 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. board — to get on
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. board — a committee
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. march — the month
  18. bear — the animal
  19. march — music
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. stem — a stem cell

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