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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rock — music
  3. mate — to breed
  4. toast — bread
  5. bass — the fish
  6. land — a country
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mate — a friend
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. land — to come down
  16. face — to confront
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. club — for golf
  19. land — ground
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. face — to point toward
  22. club — a group
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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