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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. last — finally
  6. key — in music
  7. dip — to sink
  8. mate — a friend
  9. club — for golf
  10. mate — a partner
  11. key — for a lock
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. last — to go on
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. last — final
  18. club — for dancing
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. club — a group
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mark — a trace
  23. mark — a grade
  24. fan — to cool the air

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