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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 help me carry this box?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. can — to be able to
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pitch — completely
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. mark — a trace
  8. can — a tin
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. present — a gift
  12. cold — an illness
  13. mate — a friend
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. suit — clothes
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. cold — not warm
  19. mate — a partner
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. suit — in cards
  22. present — the time now
  23. mark — a grade
  24. can — a tin

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