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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. march — the month
  4. mate — a friend
  5. game — a match
  6. march — the month
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. craft — boats
  9. mate — a partner
  10. suit — clothes
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. march — music
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. current — happening now
  21. craft — a skill
  22. squash — the sport
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. squash — to crush

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