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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. season — of the year
  4. rash — hasty
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mate — to breed
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. net — after costs
  13. game — a match
  14. net — for catching
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mate — a partner
  18. game — wild animals
  19. rash — a series
  20. season — in sport
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. net — in sport
  24. craft — boats

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