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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.

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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. object — a thing
  4. bound — obliged
  5. staff — employees
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. staff — a stick
  9. object — an aim
  10. bound — certain
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. staff — employees
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cold — an illness
  17. fine — all right
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a hole
  20. present — there
  21. object — to protest
  22. present — the time now
  23. cold — not warm
  24. bound — tied together

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