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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. mug — to rob
  4. file — a line of people
  5. object — a thing
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. file — a document
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. file — a tool
  10. mug — a face
  11. mate — a friend
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — to get on
  14. mate — a partner
  15. net — in sport
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mug — a cup
  20. object — to protest
  21. board — a committee
  22. net — for catching
  23. object — an aim
  24. net — after costs

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