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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. net — after costs
  5. race — the arms race
  6. race — a contest
  7. mate — a partner
  8. root — of a word
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mark — a grade
  16. root — the cause
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. race — humankind
  20. net — in sport
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. root — of a plant
  23. mate — to breed
  24. net — for catching

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