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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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. firm — a company
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. firm — steady
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. bear — the animal
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. game — wild animals
  15. board — a committee
  16. squash — the sport
  17. board — to get on
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. game — a match
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. firm — decided
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bear — the animal

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