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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 120 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 partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stock — goods
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. spell — magic
  7. cue — for pool
  8. mate — a friend
  9. land — to come down
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. face — to point toward
  12. spell — letters
  13. stock — shares
  14. cue — a signal
  15. present — a gift
  16. land — ground
  17. spell — a short time
  18. land — a country
  19. mate — to breed
  20. face — to confront
  21. present — the time now
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mate — a partner

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