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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stock — goods
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. game — wild animals
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. stock — shares
  16. game — a match
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. toast — bread
  24. pass — a permit

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