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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rash — hasty
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. wound — an injury
  7. sharp — clever
  8. foot — a measure
  9. date — the fruit
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. wound — an injury
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. board — a committee
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — for betting
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rash — a series
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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