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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. object — an aim
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mate — to breed
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. object — a thing
  7. net — for catching
  8. saw — the tool
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pass — a permit
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mate — a partner
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. date — the fruit
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. mate — a friend
  18. net — after costs
  19. game — a match
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. object — to protest
  22. saw — the tool
  23. net — in sport
  24. pitcher — a jug

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