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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. land — ground
  3. bulb — for light
  4. present — there
  5. mate — a partner
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mate — to breed
  8. band — a ring
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. cue — a hint
  13. land — a country
  14. present — a gift
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. band — a music group
  21. present — the time now
  22. cue — for pool
  23. wound — an injury
  24. land — to come down

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