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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. pop — music
  2. spring — of water
  3. board — a committee
  4. suit — clothes
  5. drill — army training
  6. mate — a partner
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. net — for catching
  9. spring — the season
  10. suit — in cards
  11. spring — a coil
  12. net — after costs
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pop — to visit
  17. suit — to fit
  18. net — in sport
  19. mate — a friend
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pop — soda
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  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