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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 116 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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. board — to get on
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bear — the animal
  5. field — a subject
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. field — farmland
  9. charge — in control
  10. race — the arms race
  11. last — to go on
  12. race — humankind
  13. board — a committee
  14. race — a contest
  15. spell — letters
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. spell — magic
  18. field — for sport
  19. last — finally
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bear — the animal
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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