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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. current — electric
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cap — a hat
  5. mate — to breed
  6. ball — a dance
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. present — the time now
  10. mate — a friend
  11. season — in sport
  12. saw — the tool
  13. present — there
  14. toast — bread
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. current — happening now
  19. saw — the tool
  20. current — of water
  21. ball — a great time
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. present — a gift

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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