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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. spell — magic
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. root — of a word
  5. mate — a partner
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. root — of a plant
  8. mate — to breed
  9. game — a match
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. press — a publisher
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cap — a lid
  16. press — to push
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cap — of ice
  19. game — wild animals
  20. root — the cause
  21. cap — a hat
  22. press — newspapers
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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