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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. can — a tin
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. toast — bread
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. roll — a list
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. roll — a cake
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. can — a tin
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pitch — completely
  23. spring — of water
  24. can — to be able to

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