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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. field — a subject
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mate — a partner
  5. chair — a leader
  6. object — an aim
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ball — a great time
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. field — for sport
  16. mate — a friend
  17. mark — a grade
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. field — farmland
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — a thing
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. ball — a dance

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