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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. band — a music group
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. fork — in a road
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fall — to drop
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. board — a committee
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bulb — for light
  13. game — wild animals
  14. board — to get on
  15. game — a match
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. chip — for betting
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. band — a ring
  20. fall — the season
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. chip — to eat
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. fall — to drop

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