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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. mate — a partner
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. net — in sport
  8. season — in sport
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. current — happening now
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of law
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. mark — a trace
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. court — of a king
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — for catching

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