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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. fine — all right
  4. last — final
  5. board — a committee
  6. last — to go on
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. board — to get on
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. last — finally
  16. land — to come down
  17. net — in sport
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — for catching
  22. fine — high quality
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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