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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. present — there
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. track — a song
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. season — in sport
  9. track — to keep track
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pass — a permit
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. land — a country
  17. toast — bread
  18. season — of the year
  19. land — ground
  20. track — a path
  21. present — the time now
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. land — to come down

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