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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: prune · board · spring · mouse · game · race · mate · present

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. prune — to trim
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. race — a contest
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. mate — to breed
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spring — the season
  13. race — humankind
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. spring — of water
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. present — there
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. race — the arms race
  21. board — a committee
  22. spring — a coil
  23. board — to get on
  24. present — a gift

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