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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. rush — hurry
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. court — for sport
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. perch — the fish
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. spring — of water
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. leaves — of a tree

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