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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. land — ground
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mate — to breed
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. suit — to fit
  9. land — to come down
  10. scale — size or range
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mate — a partner
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. land — a country
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. suit — in cards
  22. scale — in music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. suit — clothes

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