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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rule — a law
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — a measure
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. chest — a box
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. chest — of your body
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. ground — a position
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rule — government
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. board — to get on
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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