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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. staff — a stick
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mate — a partner
  11. spell — magic
  12. staff — employees
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. craft — a skill
  16. spell — letters
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. staff — employees

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