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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — bread
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. hand — help
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bear — the animal
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. board — a committee
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. board — to get on
  17. tube — a container
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rule — a law
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rule — government
  24. bear — the animal

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