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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. ground — a position
  3. board — a committee
  4. bear — the animal
  5. drill — a practice
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. rock — a stone
  8. present — a gift
  9. drill — army training
  10. board — to get on
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bear — the animal
  15. march — the month
  16. rock — music
  17. ground — the earth
  18. drill — the tool
  19. march — music
  20. present — the time now
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. ground — crushed
  24. march — the month

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