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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. march — music
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. net — after costs
  9. march — the month
  10. mark — a trace
  11. chair — a leader
  12. present — the time now
  13. march — the month
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mark — a grade
  17. current — electric
  18. present — there
  19. net — in sport
  20. pound — a weight
  21. ball — a dance
  22. net — for catching
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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