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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. object — a thing
  5. lie — to recline
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — to breed
  8. game — a match
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. game — wild animals
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. ball — a dance
  17. stock — goods
  18. ball — a great time
  19. object — to protest
  20. bear — the animal
  21. object — an aim
  22. dip — to sink
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. dip — to dunk

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