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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. rest — what's left
  3. track — a path
  4. chair — a leader
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rest — a break
  7. track — to keep track
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. craft — a skill
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mate — a friend
  12. rock — music
  13. foot — a measure
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. craft — boats
  16. track — a song
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rock — a stone
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. board — a committee
  21. mate — a partner
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. board — to get on
  24. craft — a handicraft

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