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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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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. drill — a practice
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. cell — in biology
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. board — to get on
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. court — of law
  13. court — of a king
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stem — to come from
  16. board — a committee
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. chair — a leader
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. court — for sport
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. drill — army training

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