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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. mate — a friend
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. swing — in golf
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mate — a partner
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rock — music
  12. swing — music
  13. present — there
  14. rock — a stone
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — to get on
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. sharp — clever
  19. foot — a measure
  20. swing — to play on
  21. present — the time now
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. present — a gift
  24. sharp — exactly

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