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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. march — the month
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. march — the month
  5. mate — to breed
  6. root — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. key — the most important part
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. root — the cause
  11. key — for a lock
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. shower — rain
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. key — in music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. march — music
  24. mate — a partner

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