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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 116 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. board — a committee
  4. mate — to breed
  5. court — of a king
  6. prune — to trim
  7. board — to get on
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pop — music
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. mate — a friend
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pop — soda
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pop — to visit
  20. court — of law
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. court — for sport
  24. prune — to trim

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