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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mate — a friend
  7. can — a tin
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pitch — completely
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. mate — a partner
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. object — an aim
  14. can — a tin
  15. date — the fruit
  16. hand — help
  17. object — to protest
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mate — to breed
  23. object — a thing
  24. date — on the calendar

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