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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. track — a song
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. mate — a partner
  6. present — there
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. mate — a friend
  9. ball — a dance
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. ball — a great time
  13. mate — to breed
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. deal — to handle
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. present — a gift
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. deal — a big deal

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