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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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Word bank
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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. kid — child
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. mate — a partner
  7. fine — all right
  8. race — the arms race
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. race — humankind
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. charge — in control
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. swing — to play on
  18. charge — electricity
  19. race — a contest
  20. key — in music
  21. kid — to tease
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. charge — a price

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