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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. court — of a king
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wound — an injury
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. court — for sport
  12. sharp — clever
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. court — of law
  22. cap — a lid
  23. mark — a trace
  24. perch — the fish

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