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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. board — a committee
  3. rest — what's left
  4. current — of water
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rest — a break
  11. toast — bread
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. present — the time now
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. court — of law
  19. board — to get on
  20. rest — what's left
  21. court — for sport
  22. current — electric
  23. current — happening now
  24. patient — a sick person

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