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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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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — there
  3. can — a tin
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. present — a gift
  10. key — the most important part
  11. pitch — completely
  12. can — a tin
  13. drill — the tool
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wind — moving air
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. wind — moving air
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. can — to be able to
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pitch — a sports field

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