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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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. fine — all right
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. snap — to click
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. ball — a dance
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. mate — to breed
  14. board — to get on
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. fine — high quality
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. board — a committee

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