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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. swing — music
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. swing — to play on
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. season — of the year
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. prune — to trim
  11. land — to come down
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. land — a country
  15. capital — a city
  16. season — in sport
  17. land — ground
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. capital — money
  20. prune — to trim
  21. swing — in golf
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. board — to get on

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