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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mate — to breed
  5. can — a tin
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. mate — a partner
  9. fork — in a road
  10. spell — a short time
  11. can — a tin
  12. spell — magic
  13. march — the month
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. spell — letters
  16. board — a committee
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. march — the month
  20. board — to get on
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. march — music
  24. fork — a garden tool

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