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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. board — a committee
  3. staff — a stick
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cell — a phone
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. board — to get on
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. toast — bread
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. staff — employees
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. staff — employees

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