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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · board · band · press · pitcher · bay · craft · tear

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. board — a committee
  3. press — a publisher
  4. craft — a skill
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. press — newspapers
  10. craft — boats
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bat — the animal
  16. band — a music group
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. press — to push
  22. board — to get on
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. band — a ring

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