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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 120 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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. suit — in cards
  3. game — a match
  4. pit — in a race
  5. prune — to trim
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mate — a friend
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. root — of a plant
  10. pit — a hole
  11. root — of a word
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. fine — high quality
  15. prune — to trim
  16. suit — clothes
  17. ball — a dance
  18. root — the cause
  19. suit — to fit
  20. ball — a great time
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. ball — a round shape

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