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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. hand — help
  3. ground — crushed
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. board — to get on
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. board — a committee
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ground — a position
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. can — a tin
  14. hand — in cards
  15. can — a tin
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to sink
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. dip — to dunk

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