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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. land — a country
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. land — ground
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pass — a permit
  10. tube — a container
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. tube — the underground
  17. mate — to breed
  18. land — to come down
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mate — a partner
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. suit — clothes
  23. row — a line
  24. patient — a sick person

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