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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.

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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. mine — for digging
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. squash — the sport
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. fork — in a road
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — to confront
  18. present — a gift
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. stock — goods
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mine — belonging to me

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