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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. net — in sport
  5. mate — a partner
  6. rest — what's left
  7. content — happy
  8. squash — the sport
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. content — the amount
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. squash — to crush
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rest — a break
  18. mate — to breed
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pit — a hole
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mate — a friend

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