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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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. net — in sport
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. root — of a plant
  8. net — after costs
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. root — the cause
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. board — a committee
  13. root — of a word
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. net — for catching
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bay — a horse colour

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