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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. ball — a dance
  5. file — a tool
  6. board — to get on
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. squash — the sport
  12. file — a line of people
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. file — a document
  17. bat — the animal
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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