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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mate — a friend
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. scale — in music
  7. board — a committee
  8. mate — a partner
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stand — to bear
  11. present — a gift
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wax — to grow
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. board — to get on
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. mate — to breed
  19. scale — size or range
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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