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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. swing — music
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. track — a path
  6. track — a song
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pitch — completely
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. track — to keep track
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. toast — bread
  21. pass — a permit
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. hand — help

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