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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. cell — in biology
  10. board — a committee
  11. court — for sport
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bore — to drill
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. court — of law
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. court — of a king
  24. board — to get 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