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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · perch · game · mate · leaves · wound · ground · key

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. mate — a partner
  5. game — a match
  6. wound — an injury
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ground — a position
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. key — the most important part
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. key — in music
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. wound — an injury
  16. board — a committee
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. game — wild animals
  19. perch — the fish
  20. mate — a friend
  21. key — for a lock
  22. board — to get on
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. perch — for a bird

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