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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. fine — high quality
  8. mate — a partner
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. net — after costs
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. fine — all right
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. net — in sport
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. net — for catching
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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