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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. content — the amount
  3. object — to protest
  4. foot — a measure
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. object — a thing
  11. suit — clothes
  12. suit — in cards
  13. sharp — clever
  14. season — of the year
  15. board — to get on
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. object — an aim
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. content — happy
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. suit — to fit

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