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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. board — a committee
  8. scale — in music
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pit — in a race
  14. scale — size or range
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pit — a hole
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. track — a song
  20. board — to get on
  21. mate — a partner
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. track — a path

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