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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. track — a path
  4. row — a line
  5. row — to paddle
  6. ball — a great time
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. track — a song
  10. board — a committee
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. ball — a dance
  13. season — of the year
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pit — in a race
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. season — in sport
  20. pit — a hole
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. board — to get on
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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