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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. tube — a container
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rule — a law
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mate — a friend
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pitch — completely
  17. suit — to fit
  18. mark — a grade
  19. tube — the underground
  20. net — in sport
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. rule — government

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