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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 116 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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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. land — ground
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. current — electric
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. present — there
  12. land — a country
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. land — to come down
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. season — in sport
  20. current — of water
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. current — happening now
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. season — of the year

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