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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. board — a committee
  3. can — a tin
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mate — to breed
  6. board — to get on
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. key — the most important part
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. can — to be able to
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. can — a tin
  18. mate — a friend
  19. key — in music
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mate — a partner

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