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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. object — to protest
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. plane — a tool
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mate — a partner
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. court — of law
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. object — a thing
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. object — an aim
  24. mate — to breed

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