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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. season — in sport
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. fine — high quality
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. board — a committee
  10. chair — a leader
  11. fine — all right
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. season — of the year
  16. kid — to tease
  17. content — happy
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. kid — child
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. content — the amount
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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