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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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. season — of the year
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. board — a committee
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. can — a tin
  11. object — a thing
  12. bat — the animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — money
  16. object — an aim
  17. season — in sport
  18. object — to protest
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. board — to get on

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