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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  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 — there
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. mate — a partner
  4. present — the time now
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. bat — the animal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. key — for a lock
  12. saw — the tool
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mate — a friend
  17. key — in music
  18. degree — temperature
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. safe — out of danger
  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