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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 120 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bound — certain
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mug — a cup
  5. land — ground
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bound — tied together
  8. land — a country
  9. mug — a face
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bound — obliged
  14. net — in sport
  15. land — to come down
  16. net — after costs
  17. last — to go on
  18. mate — a partner
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. mug — to rob
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. last — finally
  23. last — final
  24. net — for catching

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