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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. board — to get on
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. board — a committee
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. present — the time now
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. present — there
  18. chest — a box
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. present — a gift
  24. chest — of your body

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