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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 120 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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. present — there
  4. pass — a permit
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. board — a committee
  7. charge — electricity
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. key — in music
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. key — for a lock
  14. charge — in control
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. craft — a skill
  18. present — a gift
  19. board — to get on
  20. present — the time now
  21. charge — a price
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. craft — boats
  24. prune — the fruit

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