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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. key — for a lock
  3. race — a contest
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. present — the time now
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bark — to shout
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. key — the most important part
  13. race — humankind
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. present — there
  17. race — the arms race
  18. key — in music
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mate — to breed
  21. cue — a signal
  22. present — a gift
  23. land — to come down
  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