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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 120 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rash — a series
  4. lean — thin
  5. present — the time now
  6. chip — to eat
  7. board — a committee
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pop — to visit
  12. board — to get on
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. present — a gift
  18. pop — soda
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. mate — a friend
  21. present — there
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pop — music
  24. chip — for betting

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