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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. board — to get on
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pound — a weight
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. stand — to bear
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. season — in sport
  11. key — in music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. board — a committee
  19. mine — for digging
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mine — an explosive
  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