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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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. land — to come down
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. swing — in golf
  8. land — a country
  9. pit — a hole
  10. land — ground
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. board — a committee
  16. net — after costs
  17. board — to get on
  18. net — for catching
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. net — in sport
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. pit — in a race

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