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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. charge — in control
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. dip — to sink
  9. spring — the season
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. board — to get on
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. board — a committee
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. staff — employees
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bound — tied together
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. content — the amount
  23. spring — of water
  24. content — happy

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