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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. board — a committee
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mate — a partner
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mate — to breed
  7. tube — a container
  8. season — of the year
  9. tube — the underground
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. board — to get on
  16. club — for dancing
  17. mate — a friend
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for golf

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