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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. scale — in music
  3. mate — a partner
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. chip — to eat
  6. scale — size or range
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. root — the cause
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mate — to breed
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. deal — to handle
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. racket — for tennis

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