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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. present — a gift
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. mate — a friend
  8. bear — the animal
  9. present — there
  10. foot — a measure
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. mate — a partner
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. present — the time now
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. track — a path
  19. mate — to breed
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. board — to get on
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. foot — the bottom

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