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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. tube — the underground
  3. suit — clothes
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — music
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. court — for sport
  9. rock — a stone
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. tube — a container
  14. suit — in cards
  15. ground — a position
  16. court — of a king
  17. bat — the animal
  18. court — of law
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. mate — to breed
  23. fine — high quality
  24. tube — in a tire

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