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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. mate — a friend
  6. firm — a company
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ground — a position
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. ground — crushed
  14. firm — steady
  15. bear — the animal
  16. present — there
  17. stock — goods
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. ground — the earth
  20. firm — decided
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. present — the time now
  24. stock — shares

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