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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. rest — what's left
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. sharp — clever
  5. present — the time now
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. present — there
  8. saw — the tool
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rest — a break
  12. roll — a list
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. roll — a cake
  15. board — to get on
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rest — what's left
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. present — a gift
  20. cap — a lid
  21. date — the fruit
  22. board — a committee
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cap — a hat

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