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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. march — the month
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. race — humankind
  9. foot — a measure
  10. march — the month
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. march — music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bark — to shout
  23. race — a contest
  24. foot — the bottom

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