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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 124 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mate — to breed
  4. rule — government
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. track — a path
  7. ball — a great time
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fine — all right
  11. track — a song
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stock — goods
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rule — a law
  20. fine — high quality
  21. track — to keep track
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. perch — the fish
  24. stock — shares

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