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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 120 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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pitch — completely
  7. spell — magic
  8. board — a committee
  9. saw — the tool
  10. board — to get on
  11. row — to paddle
  12. rash — a series
  13. row — a line
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rash — hasty
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. row — a quarrel

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