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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mate — a partner
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. degree — temperature
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. degree — from a university
  13. rock — a stone
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. degree — an amount
  17. court — for sport
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pass — a permit
  21. rock — music
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. rock — to move gently

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