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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rash — a series
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. bass — low music
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. ball — a dance
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. ball — a great time
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. kick — in football
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. prune — to trim
  22. charge — electricity
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mate — to breed

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