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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. mate — a partner
  3. file — a tool
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. board — to get on
  7. ball — a dance
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. prune — to trim
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. file — a document
  15. mate — to breed
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ball — a great time
  18. field — farmland
  19. mate — a friend
  20. file — a line of people
  21. board — a committee
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. stand — to bear

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