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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. prune — to trim
  3. board — to get on
  4. can — a tin
  5. craft — a skill
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. prune — to trim
  8. can — to be able to
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. board — a committee
  12. can — a tin
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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