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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. present — there
  4. bulb — for light
  5. present — a gift
  6. track — to keep track
  7. mate — a partner
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. track — a song
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — an amount
  16. present — the time now
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. rock — a stone
  19. degree — from a university
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. track — a path
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rock — music

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