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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. staff — employees
  3. current — happening now
  4. season — of the year
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. cap — a hat
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. current — electric
  14. current — of water
  15. march — the month
  16. cap — a lid
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cap — of ice
  20. march — music
  21. squash — to crush
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. season — in sport
  24. march — the month

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