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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mate — a friend
  4. net — after costs
  5. pop — music
  6. rest — a break
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pop — soda
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mark — a trace
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rest — what's left
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pop — to visit
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mark — to pay attention

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