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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. firm — steady
  4. board — a committee
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. firm — a company
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. field — for sport
  10. board — to get on
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mate — to breed
  13. prune — to trim
  14. field — a subject
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. wake — a trail
  19. firm — decided
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. field — farmland
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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