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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. spell — magic
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. key — for a lock
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mate — a partner
  12. ground — a position
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. spell — letters
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. chip — to eat
  19. ball — a dance
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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