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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. key — in music
  3. race — a contest
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pitch — completely
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. key — the most important part
  11. face — part of the head
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — to shout
  14. face — to point toward
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. face — to confront
  19. key — for a lock
  20. prune — to trim
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — the arms race
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. mate — a partner

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