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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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. spell — magic
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rash — a series
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — music
  8. spell — a short time
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. present — a gift
  12. field — farmland
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ball — a dance
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rash — hasty
  18. pop — to visit
  19. field — for sport
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spell — letters
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. field — a subject

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