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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bass — the fish
  4. current — electric
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. clip — to cut
  7. net — for catching
  8. game — a match
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. current — happening now
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. net — after costs
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. clip — for paper
  17. current — of water
  18. clip — a video
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bass — low music
  21. net — in sport
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. mate — a friend

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