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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. scale — size or range
  4. tear — from crying
  5. present — the time now
  6. land — to come down
  7. pit — a hole
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. tear — from crying
  11. scale — in music
  12. land — a country
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. present — there
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. land — ground
  24. tear — to rip

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