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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mate — a partner
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. root — of a word
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rule — a law
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. root — the cause
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. mate — to breed
  18. wax — to grow
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rule — government
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. racket — a loud noise

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