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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mate — a partner
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stand — to bear
  5. fine — high quality
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mate — a friend
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. spell — magic
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. date — the fruit
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. spell — letters
  17. swing — music
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. swing — to play on
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. fine — all right

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