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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: pitcher · present · lean · season · hand · bay · rule · board

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. present — there
  7. season — of the year
  8. rule — a law
  9. present — the time now
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. board — to get on
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. board — a committee
  16. rule — government
  17. lean — thin
  18. season — in sport
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. present — a gift

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