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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. bay — a horse colour
  2. content — happy
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. present — there
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. board — to get on
  10. bass — low music
  11. present — the time now
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bass — the fish
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. content — the amount
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. present — a gift
  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