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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. deal — to handle
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. mate — to breed
  6. key — for a lock
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bank — for money
  12. key — in music
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cell — in biology
  17. scale — size or range
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — a phone
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bank — for money
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rock — music

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