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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. pop — soda
  3. court — of a king
  4. present — there
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. object — a thing
  7. present — a gift
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cap — a hat
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. object — to protest
  14. court — of law
  15. lie — to recline
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pop — music
  18. court — for sport
  19. object — an aim
  20. cap — of ice
  21. chip — to eat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pop — to visit

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