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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. ground — a position
  7. board — to get on
  8. cell — a phone
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mate — to breed
  11. board — a committee
  12. mate — a friend
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mate — a partner
  18. ground — the earth
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. craft — boats
  22. drill — a practice
  23. ground — crushed
  24. drill — army training

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