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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 116 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. land — a country
  3. mate — to breed
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. land — to come down
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — in music
  14. land — ground
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — to crush
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. object — an aim
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rush — hurry
  24. fan — a supporter

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