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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. board — a committee
  3. pass — a permit
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pop — to visit
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cold — not warm
  10. pop — music
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. board — to get on
  13. squash — to crush
  14. capital — a city
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. capital — money
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cold — an illness
  20. pop — soda
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. cold — the Cold War

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