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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. court — of a king
  7. bore — to drill
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. court — for sport
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. board — a committee
  13. prune — to trim
  14. court — of law
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mate — a friend
  17. board — to get on
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mate — a partner
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. pound — to hit hard

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