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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. suit — clothes
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — finally
  5. land — a country
  6. last — final
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. perch — the fish
  12. track — to keep track
  13. land — ground
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mate — a friend
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. track — a song
  18. suit — in cards
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. suit — to fit
  21. land — to come down
  22. track — a path
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. mate — a partner

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