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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. mug — a face
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pop — music
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. pop — soda
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. face — to confront
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. bear — the animal
  12. squash — to crush
  13. present — the time now
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. land — to come down
  18. present — there
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. land — a country
  21. pop — to visit
  22. bear — the animal
  23. land — ground
  24. squash — the sport

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