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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · can · board · racket · coach · march · shower · lie

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. board — to get on
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. march — music
  5. can — a tin
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. can — a tin
  13. march — the month
  14. can — to be able to
  15. shower — rain
  16. lie — to recline
  17. shower — to wash
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. board — a committee
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. march — the month
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. lie — an untruth

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