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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bat — the animal
  4. present — a gift
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pit — a hole
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spell — letters
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. cap — a lid
  21. spell — magic
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. present — there
  24. spell — a short time

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