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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. can — a tin
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. present — there
  6. charge — in control
  7. mate — to breed
  8. key — for a lock
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. charge — a price
  11. key — the most important part
  12. mate — a partner
  13. present — the time now
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. can — to be able to
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to click
  19. can — a tin
  20. charge — electricity
  21. key — in music
  22. toast — bread
  23. present — a gift
  24. pitch — completely

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