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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. mate — to breed
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. mate — a partner
  5. spring — a coil
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. board — a committee
  8. spring — the season
  9. bear — the animal
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stock — goods
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stock — shares
  18. spring — of water
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. board — to get on
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. prune — to trim
  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