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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. object — an aim
  6. kid — child
  7. club — for dancing
  8. kid — to tease
  9. present — the time now
  10. march — the month
  11. object — a thing
  12. current — electric
  13. current — happening now
  14. march — the month
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. present — a gift
  17. pound — a weight
  18. club — a group
  19. march — music
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. club — for golf
  22. current — of water
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. object — to protest

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