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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. object — an aim
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bank — for money
  7. tube — a container
  8. bank — for money
  9. spell — letters
  10. tube — the underground
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. key — in music
  13. key — for a lock
  14. stock — shares
  15. root — of a plant
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bank — of a river
  18. spell — magic
  19. root — the cause
  20. object — to protest
  21. stock — goods
  22. root — of a word
  23. object — a thing
  24. key — the most important part

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