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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. net — for catching
  3. charge — electricity
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. present — the time now
  7. pitch — completely
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. present — there
  11. lie — to recline
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. charge — a price
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mate — a partner
  17. game — a match
  18. present — a gift
  19. charge — in control
  20. net — after costs
  21. mate — to breed
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. net — in sport
  24. lie — an untruth

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