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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — a break
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rush — hurry
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. track — to keep track
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. track — a song
  13. mate — to breed
  14. court — for sport
  15. mate — a partner
  16. net — in sport
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — of law
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. net — after costs
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. net — for catching
  24. track — a path

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