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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. court — of a king
  4. scale — in music
  5. present — there
  6. wake — a trail
  7. present — the time now
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bound — obliged
  11. court — of law
  12. bound — certain
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. scale — size or range
  15. dip — to sink
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bound — tied together
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. court — for 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