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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pop — soda
  4. season — of the year
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. field — a subject
  9. saw — the tool
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pop — to visit
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. spell — letters
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pop — music
  23. season — in sport
  24. spell — magic

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