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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. mate — to breed
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. present — a gift
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. mate — a partner
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cold — not warm
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. board — a committee
  19. mate — a friend
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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