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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. march — music
  6. fall — to drop
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pop — soda
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. ball — a dance
  13. march — the month
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ball — a great time
  18. march — the month
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pop — music
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. fall — the season
  24. pop — to visit

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