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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. can — a tin
  3. field — for sport
  4. board — to get on
  5. face — part of the head
  6. face — to confront
  7. can — a tin
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. field — a subject
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. spring — of water
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. board — a committee
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. face — to point toward
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. field — farmland
  24. spring — the season

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