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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 124 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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. mate — a friend
  3. ball — a dance
  4. present — there
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mate — to breed
  7. foot — a measure
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. file — a line of people
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. present — the time now
  13. key — for a lock
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. row — to paddle
  17. key — in music
  18. row — a line
  19. ball — a great time
  20. present — a gift
  21. mate — a partner
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. season — in sport

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