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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — a partner
  4. row — to paddle
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. land — a country
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. land — ground
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. toast — bread
  18. mate — to breed
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. row — a line
  22. land — to come down
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — to add flavour

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