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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. game — a match
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bank — for money
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. court — for sport
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bank — for money
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mate — to breed
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. game — wild animals
  18. court — of law
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. court — of a king
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bore — to drill

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