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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bear — the animal
  6. season — of the year
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. key — the most important part
  10. hand — help
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. season — in sport
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. chip — for betting
  15. bear — the animal
  16. hand — in cards
  17. key — in music
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. key — for a lock
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pitch — completely
  24. present — the time now

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