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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. court — for sport
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. court — of law
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. kid — child
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. present — there
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. march — the month
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. march — music
  18. court — of a king
  19. kid — to tease
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fine — all right
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. march — the month
  24. fine — high quality

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