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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. mate — to breed
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mug — a cup
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. pitch — completely
  12. race — humankind
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. present — a gift
  15. perch — the fish
  16. race — a contest
  17. tube — the underground
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. race — the arms race
  21. tube — a container
  22. mug — to rob
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mug — a face

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