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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mate — a friend
  3. ball — a dance
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pop — soda
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mate — a partner
  8. stand — to bear
  9. sharp — clever
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pop — music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. board — a committee
  17. rock — music
  18. ball — a great time
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pop — to visit
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. mate — to breed

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