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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. plane — a tool
  3. present — there
  4. rest — a break
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. root — of a word
  8. swing — to play on
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. present — a gift
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. mate — a partner
  17. root — the cause
  18. mate — a friend
  19. present — the time now
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. root — of a plant
  24. swing — music

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