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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pit — a hole
  5. spell — letters
  6. net — in sport
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. net — after costs
  9. craft — boats
  10. board — to get on
  11. spell — a short time
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. craft — a skill
  15. spell — magic
  16. squash — the sport
  17. ground — a position
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. ground — crushed
  20. net — for catching
  21. board — a committee
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ground — the earth
  24. pit — in a race

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