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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rock — a stone
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. board — to get on
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. board — a committee
  11. rock — music
  12. drill — a practice
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. branch — a division
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. drill — the tool
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. drill — army training
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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