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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mark — a trace
  7. can — a tin
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bat — the animal
  10. cell — a phone
  11. pound — a weight
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mate — to breed
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. can — a tin
  24. pound — for dogs

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