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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stand — to bear
  3. prune — to trim
  4. present — a gift
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. land — to come down
  8. face — part of the head
  9. present — the time now
  10. pop — to visit
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pop — music
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. land — a country
  15. face — to confront
  16. stock — shares
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. stock — goods
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. face — to point toward
  21. pop — soda
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. prune — to trim
  24. land — ground

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