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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. prune — to trim
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. cue — for pool
  6. board — to get on
  7. cue — a hint
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — a practice
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. court — for sport
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. court — of law
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. drill — the tool
  19. prune — to trim
  20. board — a committee
  21. cue — a signal
  22. court — of a king
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. deal — a big deal

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