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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. mate — a friend
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rush — hurry
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. game — a match
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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