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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. board — a committee
  3. race — a contest
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. court — for sport
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. fork — in a road
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. race — humankind
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. race — the arms race
  16. court — of a king
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. court — of law
  23. row — a line
  24. leaves — to go away

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