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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. club — a group
  3. hand — help
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. pit — a hole
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. mate — a friend
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. pit — in a race
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — clever
  22. hand — in cards
  23. toast — bread
  24. staff — employees

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