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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. can — a tin
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. track — a path
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. fine — all right
  7. squash — to crush
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. can — to be able to
  13. track — a song
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. track — to keep track
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. board — to get on
  20. perch — the fish
  21. can — a tin
  22. squash — the sport
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. tear — from crying

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