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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. board — a committee
  3. stock — shares
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. suit — clothes
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pass — a permit
  8. court — of law
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. court — for sport
  12. suit — in cards
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stock — goods
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — in sport
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — to get on
  23. court — of a king
  24. season — of the year

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