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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. pop — to visit
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. rest — what's left
  6. can — a tin
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pop — music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. can — a tin
  11. present — the time now
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. saw — the tool
  15. present — a gift
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rest — a break
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pop — soda
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. pitcher — a jug

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