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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 116 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. ball — a dance
  6. key — in music
  7. net — for catching
  8. key — the most important part
  9. chair — a leader
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. capital — money
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. net — in sport
  17. key — for a lock
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. capital — a city
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pit — in a race
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. net — after costs

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