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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. root — of a word
  4. clip — for paper
  5. season — of the year
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rock — a stone
  8. mate — a friend
  9. clip — to cut
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mate — to breed
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. rock — music
  14. board — to get on
  15. clip — a video
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mate — a partner
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wake — a trail
  22. season — in sport
  23. board — a committee
  24. root — the cause

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