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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. present — the time now
  4. mate — to breed
  5. can — a tin
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. present — a gift
  10. can — a tin
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. mate — a partner
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. present — there
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bat — the animal
  24. can — to be able to

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