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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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Word bank
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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 King held a masked ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. ball — a dance
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. can — a tin
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. present — there
  7. bat — the animal
  8. present — a gift
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. object — to protest
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. sharp — clever
  13. object — an aim
  14. ball — a great time
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. can — to be able to
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. can — a tin
  23. object — a thing
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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