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

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. board — a committee
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. board — to get on
  8. date — the fruit
  9. stock — shares
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. stock — goods
  12. field — for sport
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bore — to drill
  16. field — farmland
  17. mate — to breed
  18. field — a subject
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stock — a soup base

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