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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. net — for catching
  6. capital — money
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. net — in sport
  9. board — to get on
  10. rash — a series
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. capital — a city
  14. board — a committee
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rock — a stone
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. net — after costs
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rash — hasty

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