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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. mate — to breed
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. squash — to crush
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. court — of law
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. root — the cause
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. toast — bread
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mate — a partner
  22. court — for sport
  23. root — of a word
  24. court — of a king

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