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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. stand — to bear
  7. row — a line
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bass — low music
  12. fine — all right
  13. chip — to eat
  14. row — to paddle
  15. mate — a friend
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mate — to breed
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bass — the fish
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. spell — a short time

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