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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. pitch — completely
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. march — music
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stand — to bear
  7. board — a committee
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. saw — the tool
  11. degree — an amount
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. game — wild animals
  15. board — to get on
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. degree — from a university
  18. game — a match
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. degree — temperature
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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