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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. row — a line
  5. board — to get on
  6. scale — in music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. spring — the season
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. row — to paddle
  13. scale — size or range
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. face — to point toward
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — the fish
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. face — to confront
  22. spring — of water
  23. bass — low music
  24. board — a committee

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