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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stand — to bear
  3. charge — electricity
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. game — wild animals
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. charge — in control
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. capital — a city
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bulb — for light
  16. charge — a price
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. capital — money
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. bulb — for light
  23. game — a match
  24. capital — a big letter

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