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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mate — a partner
  5. capital — money
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pit — a hole
  8. capital — a city
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bank — for money
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. hide — to keep secret

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