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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. present — a gift
  3. board — to get on
  4. track — a song
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rash — hasty
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rash — a series
  9. present — there
  10. track — a path
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bore — to drill
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. present — the time now
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. board — a committee
  24. track — to keep track

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