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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. hand — help
  4. board — to get on
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. wind — moving air
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. board — a committee
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bulb — for light
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. pitch — completely
  22. season — of the year
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bulb — of a plant

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