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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wound — an injury
  4. staff — employees
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bass — low music
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. drill — army training
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. staff — employees
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. board — a committee
  18. pound — a weight
  19. drill — the tool
  20. drill — a practice
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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