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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. charge — electricity
  4. race — the arms race
  5. charge — in control
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. race — humankind
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. race — a contest
  18. mate — to breed
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. game — a match
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. charge — a price

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