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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. staff — employees
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. present — there
  7. staff — employees
  8. hand — in cards
  9. perch — the fish
  10. bass — the fish
  11. hand — help
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. present — the time now
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mate — a partner
  22. present — a gift
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wave — of the sea

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