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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. board — a committee
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wound — an injury
  5. key — for a lock
  6. track — a path
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. key — in music
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. track — to keep track
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. sharp — clever
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. track — a song
  20. wound — an injury
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. board — to get on

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