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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. content — happy
  12. mate — a partner
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. ball — a dance
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. craft — a skill
  17. foot — a measure
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. craft — boats
  21. content — the amount
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. ball — a great time
  24. bowl — a dish

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