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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: nail · lash · cap · bay · content · pitcher · board · season

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. cap — of ice
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. content — the amount
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. content — happy
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. cap — a hat
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. board — a committee
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. season — of the year
  24. season — in sport

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