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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. file — a line of people
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. file — a tool
  11. chair — a leader
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. file — a document
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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