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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. file — a tool
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. board — to get on
  11. craft — a skill
  12. file — a line of people
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. court — of law
  16. march — the month
  17. court — for sport
  18. march — the month
  19. file — a document
  20. craft — boats
  21. court — of a king
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. board — a committee

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