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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mate — to breed
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. net — in sport
  10. mate — a friend
  11. net — for catching
  12. court — for sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mate — a partner
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. court — of a king
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bat — the animal
  22. court — of law
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. leaves — lets stay

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