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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. spring — the season
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. ball — a great time
  11. spring — a coil
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. board — to get on
  14. spring — of water
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pit — in a race
  17. ball — a dance
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. snap — to click
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. toast — bread
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bay — a horse colour

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