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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. march — the month
  3. ball — a great time
  4. land — a country
  5. board — a committee
  6. march — the month
  7. saw — the tool
  8. march — music
  9. land — to come down
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. saw — the tool
  12. press — a publisher
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. land — ground
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — to push
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ball — a dance
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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