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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. game — wild animals
  6. season — in sport
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. mate — a partner
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. present — there
  12. dip — to sink
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fine — all right
  16. mate — to breed
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. spell — magic
  19. season — of the year
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mate — a friend
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fine — high quality
  24. game — a match

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