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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. board — a committee
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. march — music
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. fall — the season
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. snap — to click
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rash — a series
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fall — to drop
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — to get on
  21. march — the month
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. fan — to cool the air

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