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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. field — farmland
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. field — a subject
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. march — the month
  10. cap — of ice
  11. field — for sport
  12. charge — a price
  13. board — a committee
  14. march — the month
  15. cap — a hat
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. board — to get on
  18. charge — in control
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. charge — electricity
  21. chair — a leader
  22. march — music
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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