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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. pop — to visit
  4. club — for dancing
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. net — after costs
  7. band — a music group
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pop — soda
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pop — music
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. club — a group
  15. file — a document
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mate — a partner
  19. band — a ring
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. club — for golf
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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