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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. rash — a series
  3. lie — to recline
  4. season — in sport
  5. rash — hasty
  6. game — wild animals
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. mate — a partner
  9. game — a match
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. season — of the year
  16. mate — to breed
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bark — to shout
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. pitcher — a jug

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