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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — a partner
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. file — a line of people
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mate — to breed
  12. drill — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. tube — the underground
  17. cue — for pool
  18. present — the time now
  19. cue — a hint
  20. file — a document
  21. drill — army training
  22. file — a tool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. tube — a container

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