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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bass — the fish
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rule — a law
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. root — of a plant
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. root — the cause
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rule — government
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. board — to get on
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. root — of a word
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. rule — to rule out

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