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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mate — a friend
  6. swing — music
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. fine — high quality
  9. swing — to play on
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. present — the time now
  14. swing — in golf
  15. stock — goods
  16. sharp — clever
  17. board — a committee
  18. fine — all right
  19. stock — shares
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. present — a gift
  23. mate — to breed
  24. board — to get on

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