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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 116 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. firm — decided
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. firm — a company
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. file — a line of people
  9. field — a subject
  10. charge — a price
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. field — farmland
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. scale — size or range
  15. file — a document
  16. charge — in control
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. charge — electricity
  19. scale — in music
  20. field — for sport
  21. file — a tool
  22. mate — to breed
  23. firm — steady
  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