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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. current — happening now
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. perch — the fish
  6. ball — a dance
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mate — a partner
  11. can — to be able to
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pass — a permit
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. ball — a great time
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. can — a tin
  23. mate — to breed
  24. can — a tin

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