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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. face — to point toward
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. key — in music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bass — the fish
  11. court — of a king
  12. rash — hasty
  13. stock — goods
  14. mate — a partner
  15. face — part of the head
  16. court — for sport
  17. bass — low music
  18. court — of law
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rash — a series
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. face — to confront
  23. key — for a lock
  24. stock — shares

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