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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
468
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: present · pass · spring · mate · squash · board · bark · bulb

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. spring — of water
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. board — a committee
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. board — to get on
  11. mate — to breed
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. present — there
  17. spring — the season
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pass — to spend time

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