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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. club — for dancing
  5. club — for golf
  6. key — in music
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. craft — boats
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. spring — of water
  15. degree — temperature
  16. craft — a skill
  17. degree — an amount
  18. mate — a partner
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mate — to breed
  21. key — the most important part
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. club — a group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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