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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mate — to breed
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. scale — size or range
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mate — a partner
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bulb — for light
  12. foot — a measure
  13. scale — in music
  14. cell — a phone
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. cell — in biology
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. wake — a trail
  24. stand — to bear

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