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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. squash — to crush
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. court — of a king
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. squash — the sport
  14. mate — a friend
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. race — a contest
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. race — humankind
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. race — the arms race

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