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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. mate — a friend
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. board — a committee
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. board — to get on
  14. date — the fruit
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. sharp — clever
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. mouse — the animal

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