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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. squash — the sport
  6. board — to get on
  7. toast — bread
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. board — a committee
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mate — to breed
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fine — all right
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. squash — to crush
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fine — high quality
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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