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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mate — a friend
  4. charge — electricity
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pound — a weight
  7. drill — army training
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mate — a partner
  10. key — in music
  11. charge — in control
  12. squash — to crush
  13. drill — the tool
  14. squash — the sport
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. charge — a price
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. key — for a lock
  19. drill — a practice
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pound — for dogs

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