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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. drill — army training
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. net — in sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. drill — the tool
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. drill — a practice
  13. net — after costs
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mate — a partner
  17. capital — a city
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitch — completely
  21. net — for catching
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mate — to breed

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