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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. board — a committee
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rash — a series
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. march — the month
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. march — the month
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. vault — a safe
  18. march — music
  19. rash — hasty
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. board — to get on

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