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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. mate — to breed
  3. board — a committee
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mate — a friend
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. face — to confront
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bore — to drill
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. board — to get on

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