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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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Word bank
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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. board — a committee
  4. date — the fruit
  5. season — in sport
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — of the year
  10. board — to get on
  11. rest — what's left
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rest — a break
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. key — the most important part
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. sharp — clever
  24. key — in music

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