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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 116 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — a price
  5. board — to get on
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. last — final
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mate — a partner
  10. dip — to sink
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. net — for catching
  15. mate — to breed
  16. board — a committee
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. last — finally
  19. charge — in control
  20. net — in sport
  21. mate — a friend
  22. net — after costs
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. last — to go on

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