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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  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. pass — a permit
  2. board — a committee
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. season — of the year
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stand — to bear
  7. perch — the fish
  8. track — a path
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. season — in sport
  11. track — to keep track
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. track — a song
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. deal — to handle
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. season — to add flavour
  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