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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: bay · board · game · stem · bass · mark · straw · kick

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. mark — a trace
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. board — a committee
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. game — wild animals
  11. board — to get on
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. kick — in football
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bass — low music
  24. game — a match

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