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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. season — of the year
  3. chair — a leader
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. craft — a skill
  8. mate — a partner
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mate — to breed
  11. band — a music group
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. object — to protest
  14. craft — boats
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. object — an aim
  17. can — a tin
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. stand — to bear
  20. object — a thing
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. season — in sport
  24. band — a ring

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