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

Word bank: toast · court · tear · board · bay · pitch · lean · rock

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. lean — to bend
  3. court — for sport
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rock — a stone
  14. court — of law
  15. lean — thin
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. tear — to rip
  20. court — of a king
  21. rock — music
  22. board — a committee
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rock — to move gently

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