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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. scale — in music
  3. present — there
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rule — government
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. present — the time now
  10. scale — size or range
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. net — for catching
  14. present — a gift
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rule — a law
  17. swing — to play on
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — after costs
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. deal — a big deal

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