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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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. mouse — for a computer
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. club — a group
  7. roll — a list
  8. club — for golf
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. roll — a cake
  11. face — to confront
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. club — for dancing
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. sharp — clever
  20. charge — in control
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mate — to breed
  24. charge — a price

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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