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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mark — a grade
  8. tube — the underground
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. deal — to handle
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mate — a partner
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mine — for digging
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tube — a container
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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