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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. land — to come down
  5. chair — a leader
  6. pitch — completely
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. land — ground
  11. mate — a partner
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bank — for money
  15. squash — to crush
  16. bank — of a river
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. squash — the sport
  23. land — a country
  24. bank — for money

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