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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. net — for catching
  4. fine — high quality
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. board — a committee
  8. mate — a partner
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mate — a friend
  12. wake — a trail
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. fine — all right
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mate — to breed
  18. net — after costs
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. board — to get on
  21. net — in sport
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. mine — for digging

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