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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. season — in sport
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — to get on
  6. mate — a partner
  7. charge — electricity
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mate — a friend
  12. season — of the year
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — to crush
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. charge — a price
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. charge — in control
  21. mate — to breed
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. deal — an agreement

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