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

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. root — of a word
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. mate — a partner
  12. root — the cause
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. root — of a plant
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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