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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mate — a partner
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. saw — the tool
  8. root — of a word
  9. net — in sport
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. net — for catching
  12. root — the cause
  13. root — of a plant
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. mate — a friend
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. saw — the tool
  21. net — after costs
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. board — to get on
  24. mate — to breed

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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