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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. pit — in a race
  5. staff — employees
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. net — after costs
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. mate — a partner
  10. staff — employees
  11. present — there
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. net — in sport
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. net — for catching
  17. pit — a hole
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. present — a gift
  21. mate — a friend
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bat — the animal
  24. present — the time now

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