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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. spell — magic
  3. net — for catching
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. spell — letters
  6. mate — to breed
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mate — a partner
  11. net — in sport
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. spell — a short time
  14. net — after costs
  15. hand — help
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. craft — boats
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. craft — a skill
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pitcher — a jug

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