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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · mate · present · key · bark · rush · last · ball

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. firm — steady
  3. mate — to breed
  4. ball — a great time
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. ball — a dance
  7. key — in music
  8. present — there
  9. last — finally
  10. last — to go on
  11. present — the time now
  12. firm — a company
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. key — for a lock
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. firm — decided
  18. present — a gift
  19. key — the most important part
  20. last — final
  21. bark — to shout
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. mate — a partner
  24. rush — hurry

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