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

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. mate — a partner
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. land — ground
  5. march — the month
  6. land — a country
  7. stand — to bear
  8. board — to get on
  9. march — the month
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. march — music
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. board — a committee
  18. mate — to breed

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