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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. firm — steady
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. firm — decided
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. board — a committee
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. fine — all right
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. firm — a company
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. board — to get on
  16. stem — to come from
  17. sharp — clever
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. shower — rain
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. shower — to wash

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