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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. content — happy
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. spell — a short time
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. board — to get on
  16. spell — magic
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. content — the amount
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. board — a committee
  21. spell — letters
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. ruler — for measuring

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