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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 120 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. staff — employees
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. swing — music
  6. rock — music
  7. suit — in cards
  8. shower — to wash
  9. game — wild animals
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mate — a partner
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. staff — employees
  18. mate — to breed
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. game — a match
  22. sharp — clever
  23. shower — rain
  24. staff — a stick

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