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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. board — to get on
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. root — the cause
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pop — soda
  13. board — a committee
  14. spring — the season
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. root — of a word
  20. mate — a friend
  21. rush — hurry
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. spring — of water
  24. root — of a plant

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