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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. saw — the tool
  4. present — a gift
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. present — the time now
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. wind — moving air
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. saw — the tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. present — there
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. club — a group
  17. ball — a dance
  18. club — for dancing
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. ball — a great time
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. club — for golf
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wind — moving air

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