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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. The water is too ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. press — a publisher
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mark — a grade
  8. key — for a lock
  9. can — a tin
  10. mate — to breed
  11. key — in music
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. mate — a partner
  14. club — for golf
  15. can — a tin
  16. club — a group
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. press — to push
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. can — to be able to
  21. mark — a trace
  22. press — newspapers
  23. cold — an illness
  24. club — for dancing

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