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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mate — a partner
  4. game — a match
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mate — a friend
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. mug — a cup
  10. saw — the tool
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mug — to rob
  13. spell — letters
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. net — in sport
  16. mate — to breed
  17. spell — magic
  18. mug — a face

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