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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. object — to protest
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. object — an aim
  6. present — a gift
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. file — a document
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. file — a tool
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — clothes
  16. capital — money
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. pit — a hole
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. present — the time now
  23. suit — in cards
  24. object — a thing

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