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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. land — a country
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. board — a committee
  7. rule — a law
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rule — government
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. land — ground
  20. board — to get on
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. rock — music
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rock — to move gently

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