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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. ball — a great time
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. pop — to visit
  7. mate — to breed
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. saw — the tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. charge — electricity
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mate — a friend
  16. charge — in control
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — music
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pitch — completely
  22. saw — the tool
  23. charge — a price
  24. ball — a dance

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