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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. charge — in control
  3. file — a line of people
  4. charge — electricity
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. charge — a price
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. file — a tool
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. field — for sport
  19. mate — to breed
  20. file — a document
  21. mate — a friend
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. rock — music

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