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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. present — the time now
  5. season — of the year
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. present — there
  8. race — humankind
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. race — a contest
  15. field — farmland
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. field — a subject
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. net — in sport
  21. can — to be able to
  22. race — the arms race
  23. field — for sport
  24. season — in sport

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