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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. plane — a tool
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. spell — magic
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. squash — to crush
  14. present — a gift
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. squash — the sport
  20. spell — letters
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. present — the time now

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