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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. mate — a friend
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. content — happy
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. present — there
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mate — to breed
  13. swing — music
  14. content — the amount
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. present — the time now
  17. sharp — clever
  18. can — a tin
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. present — a gift
  22. rule — a law
  23. swing — in golf
  24. sharp — with an edge

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