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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. current — electric
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. spring — a coil
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. board — to get on
  8. current — of water
  9. mate — a friend
  10. current — happening now
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. present — a gift
  15. toast — bread
  16. land — a country
  17. board — a committee
  18. spring — the season
  19. present — the time now
  20. land — ground
  21. spring — of water
  22. land — to come down
  23. present — there
  24. mate — a partner

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