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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. cell — a phone
  3. court — of law
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. swing — to play on
  6. present — there
  7. present — the time now
  8. court — for sport
  9. board — a committee
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — music
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bank — of a river
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bank — for money
  19. present — a gift
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. court — of a king
  23. bank — for money
  24. rash — a series

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