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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. charge — a price
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. net — after costs
  8. pass — a permit
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mate — a friend
  15. root — the cause
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. charge — in control
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. mate — a partner

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