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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. court — for sport
  6. cap — a lid
  7. root — of a plant
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. court — of law
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. board — a committee
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. cap — of ice
  14. root — the cause
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. root — of a word
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. court — of a king
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. board — to get on
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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