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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. cap — a lid
  5. row — to paddle
  6. can — to be able to
  7. pitch — completely
  8. key — in music
  9. cap — of ice
  10. key — the most important part
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. row — a line
  14. cap — a hat
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. mate — to breed
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. can — a tin
  23. key — for a lock
  24. mate — a friend

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