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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. ground — crushed
  6. board — a committee
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bass — low music
  12. ground — a position
  13. board — to get on
  14. march — the month
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. march — music
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. mug — a cup
  20. march — the month
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bass — the fish
  24. kick — in football

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