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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. pass — a permit
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rock — music
  7. board — a committee
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. cap — of ice
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. cap — a lid

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