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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. board — to get on
  4. charge — electricity
  5. clip — to cut
  6. key — for a lock
  7. clip — a video
  8. charge — in control
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. race — humankind
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. key — in music
  15. clip — for paper
  16. key — the most important part
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. race — a contest
  22. charge — a price
  23. board — a committee
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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