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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. spell — letters
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. spell — magic
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. key — in music
  10. board — a committee
  11. key — the most important part
  12. spell — a short time
  13. squash — to crush
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. key — for a lock
  18. board — to get on
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — a gift
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bore — to drill
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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