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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. land — a country
  4. date — the fruit
  5. press — to push
  6. bear — the animal
  7. press — a publisher
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. suit — to fit
  10. suit — clothes
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. suit — in cards
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. land — to come down
  16. key — for a lock
  17. present — a gift
  18. key — the most important part
  19. foot — a measure
  20. key — in music
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. bear — the animal
  24. land — ground

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