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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mate — a friend
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. mate — to breed
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. content — the amount
  10. pitch — completely
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. content — happy
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. chair — a leader
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stand — on your feet

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