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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  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. row — a quarrel
  2. mate — to breed
  3. charge — a price
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mate — a partner
  6. season — of the year
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bank — of a river
  9. row — to paddle
  10. charge — in control
  11. bank — for money
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. wound — an injury
  14. row — a line
  15. march — music
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. bank — for money
  18. mate — a friend
  19. season — in sport
  20. charge — electricity
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. board — a committee
  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