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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 120 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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. board — to get on
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. prune — to trim
  6. spring — the season
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. content — the amount
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rest — what's left
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. spring — of water
  15. pass — a permit
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rest — what's left
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rest — a break
  22. prune — to trim
  23. perch — the fish
  24. content — happy

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