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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fine — all right
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fine — high quality
  12. march — music
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wound — an injury
  17. march — the month
  18. present — there
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. present — a gift
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. march — the month

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