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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. ground — crushed
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. board — to get on
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. stem — to come from
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. saw — the tool
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  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