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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — a hole
  4. board — a committee
  5. last — to go on
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. pit — in a race
  9. last — finally
  10. scale — size or range
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. mate — to breed
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. mate — a friend
  15. scale — in music
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. mate — a partner
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. board — to get on

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