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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. bay — a part of the sea
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. ball — a dance
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rash — a series
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. board — a committee
  15. file — a document
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. file — a tool
  23. pass — to spend time
  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