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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. row — a line
  3. present — a gift
  4. mark — a grade
  5. key — in music
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. rest — what's left
  8. present — the time now
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rest — a break
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mate — a partner
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mate — to breed
  22. present — there
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mouse — the animal

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