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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. march — the month
  4. object — a thing
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. last — final
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mate — a friend
  11. kick — in football
  12. last — finally
  13. fine — high quality
  14. last — to go on
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fine — all right
  17. ground — the earth
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ground — a position

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