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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bore — to tire
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. bore — to drill
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. club — a group
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. club — for dancing
  11. roll — a list
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mate — to breed
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stand — to bear
  24. club — for golf

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