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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bat — the animal
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. squash — to crush
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. charge — in control
  10. squash — the sport
  11. charge — electricity
  12. board — to get on
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. sharp — clever
  20. ball — a great time
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. charge — a price
  23. board — a committee
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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