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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. shower — to wash
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fork — in a road
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bat — the animal
  10. capital — a city
  11. board — to get on
  12. mark — a trace
  13. shower — rain
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. board — a committee
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for golf
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. capital — money
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. club — for dancing

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