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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mine — for digging
  3. present — a gift
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. present — there
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mate — to breed
  8. key — in music
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. mate — a partner
  13. key — the most important part
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. present — the time now
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. vault — a safe

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