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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. club — for golf
  3. game — wild animals
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. club — for dancing
  11. club — a group
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pop — music
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. game — a match
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. snap — to click

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