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

Word bank: board · leaves · present · mate · deal · vault · chair · pound

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. mate — a friend
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. present — there
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. board — to get on
  9. mate — to breed
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pound — a weight
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. deal — to handle
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. chair — a leader
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mate — a partner
  20. board — a committee
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — a big deal

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