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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. saw — the tool
  3. court — for sport
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. key — the most important part
  6. key — in music
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rash — a series
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. saw — the tool
  19. board — a committee
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. court — of a king
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. court — of law

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