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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 116 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. mate — a friend
  3. fine — high quality
  4. present — a gift
  5. mate — to breed
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. present — there
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. rash — a series
  13. bass — low music
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. present — the time now
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. sharp — clever
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rash — hasty
  24. bowl — to roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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