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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. board — to get on
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. roll — a list
  10. clip — a video
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. board — a committee
  14. clip — to cut
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. court — of a king
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. roll — a cake
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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