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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — a practice
  6. board — a committee
  7. cell — a phone
  8. board — to get on
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cell — in biology
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bulb — for light
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. chair — to sit on

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