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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. suit — in cards
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fine — high quality
  11. court — for sport
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fine — all right
  15. court — of law
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mate — a friend
  21. court — of a king
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fan — to cool the air

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