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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bear — the animal
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bound — obliged
  9. cap — of ice
  10. present — there
  11. mate — a partner
  12. row — a line
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mate — a friend
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — the time now
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bound — certain
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. chip — to eat
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cap — a hat

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