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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mate — a friend
  3. present — a gift
  4. present — there
  5. present — the time now
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. root — of a word
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. mate — a partner
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mate — to breed
  15. game — a match
  16. root — of a plant
  17. season — in sport
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. root — the cause
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. season — of the year

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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