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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. sharp — clever
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. root — the cause
  6. mate — to breed
  7. firm — decided
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a match
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. root — of a plant
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. mate — a friend
  18. prune — to trim
  19. root — of a word
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mate — a partner
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mouse — the animal

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