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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mug — a cup
  4. cap — a hat
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mug — a face
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. bass — low music
  13. mate — a partner
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cap — of ice
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bass — the fish
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mate — to breed
  24. firm — steady

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